The ICC T20 World Cup 2022 is set to kick off on Sunday, October 16, with the preliminary qualifying round before the Super 12 round starts on October 22. The 8th edition of the tournament will be played in Australia, with the final slated for November 13 at the MCG.
In the world of plenty of cricket, fitness has become paramount for players to survive at the highest level, especially for those who play multiple formats. Their fitness will also be tested while fielding on the big ground in Australia and while running between the wickets as batters would want to convert the ones into twos given the large sizes of the outfield.
In this article, we will about the fittest cricketer from each of the 8 teams that have qualified for the Super 12 round of the ICC T20 World Cup 2022:
India – Virat Kohli
There is no doubt that Virat Kohli is the fittest member of this Indian team; the jury may have been confused had Ravindra Jadeja been fit, but Kohli remains the elitist barometer of fitness, not just in cricketers but among all athletes.
Once a chubby young lad who loved to eat street food turned himself into a machine – both on and off the field – to attain greatness as a player. It is a testament to Kohli’s fitness that he’s perhaps missed the least number of matches for India over the past decade due to injury. Kohli is also arguably the fastest runner between the wickets in the world.
South Africa – David Miller
The left-handed South Africa batsman David Miller has been around the international and franchise circuit for a long time. But there’s hardly been news of his missing matches due to injury or rest. Miller, who now is one of the best finishers in the world across conditions, is a live wire in the field and is always ready to throw his body around to save every single run.
New Zealand – Tim Southee
Often an aspect missed when talking about Tim Southee is how he consistently remains available for most of the matches for New Zealand or for his domestic side or in the IPL. Unlike most other fast bowlers, 33-year-old Southee isn’t regularly given rest, partly because NZ need him and partly because the financial gains aren’t big for the Kiwi players, which has also seen a few players moving away from the national contracts.
Nonetheless, Southee is also one of the few pacers in the world who stand in the slips in Test cricket, a further vindication of his agility in the field.
Bangladesh – Liton Das
With the retirement of Mushfiqur Rahim for T20Is, Liton Das is set to don the gloves fo Bangladesh. The 28-year-old is amongst the fittest members of the Bangladesh side; his fitness and endurance level were showcased when in 2018 he hit a century in the Asia Cup final against India in the extreme heat of Dubai. Liton’s back will be tested as a wicket-keeper throughout the T20 World Cup, but he’s expected to not miss much behind the stumps.
Afghanistan – Rashid Khan
The second-ranked ICC men’s T20I bowler in the world, Rashid Khan is amongst the swiftest of movers in the outfield and is almost always manning a danger pocket near the boundary line for any of the teams he turns up for.
Rashid Khan, arguably the best T20 player currently in the world, has featured in over 350 T20 matches since making his debut in 2015, that is, on average 50 T20 matches a year! To make the most of the money possible from the franchise leagues, Rashid has shown great fitness levels over the past 7 years.
England – Ben Stokes
Ben Stokes is the guy who makes things happen; not many cricketers in the world get that tag. Stokes is the bowler his captain looks to when in time of a breakthrough. His fitness can be felt when he’s in the middle of a tough, intense, short-ball-barrage spell during Test matches when all other bowlers have almost given up, but Stokes has the endurance to pound the ball hard into the pitch.
He’s quick when running between the wicket, and his committing 100 percent whether with the bat or with the ball or while fielding further is proof that Stokes is the fittest of all English players. And of course, expect a stunning catch every now and then from the athletic all-rounder.
Pakistan – Mohammad Rizwan
One example of Mohammad Rizwan’s fitness and his passion for the game and his country: the night before Pakistan’s semi-final against Australia last year, Rizwan was battling a lung infection and was even hospitalized. But the wicket-keeper rose like a “warrior” as batting consultant Hayden said, and smashed a fifty in the semis, albeit in a losing cause.
Rizwan is Pakistan’s all-format wicket-keeper and despite the immense workload, he’s not rested much but continues to wage his banner in international cricket and in PSL. Being a wicket-keeper across the three formats would take a toll on anyone’s fitness, but Rizwan doesn’t need timeouts; his passion and love for Pakistan cricket drive him every game.
Australia – Glenn Maxwell
Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell is amongst the fittest of athletes in the world. The 34-year-old remains Australia’s crucial cog in the line-up. Known for his flexible and supple body, Maxwell is one of the safest fielders around the globe. The all-rounder remains fit and available for most of the matches he’s expected to play in whether international cricket, IPL or BBL.
