Ever wondered what would happen if the Indian cricketers were runners? Well, let’s indulge in some lighthearted imagination and explore which player would fit which running personality. Picture this as a fun-filled run without any specific purpose, just for the sheer joy of it!
MS Dhoni
- The de facto leader of the group
- Calm, composed and always in control and knows what needs to be done
- A late bloomer and had to work extremely hard but boasts of a crazy list of accomplishments which are unfathomable for most people in the group
- He likes to start slow and runs 90% of the distance at a steady/easy pace and absolutely sprints the final section of race
- Has that unconventional and unique running style which may not be efficient but he makes good with his solid hard work and incredible self belief
- His stature is beyond his race performances – people love and admire him unconditionally!
Virat Kohli
- That God runner with a perfect body, perfect form and aces pretty much all races
- Pro at all distances from 5Ks to Ultras and hits PBs everytime
- Acing all the trainings workouts without breaking much sweat
- Extremely mindful of what he is eating, when he is eating and how much he is eating
- The one who is ageing reverse
- The one with crazy fan following with several good looking running partners
- Bugger is good at cycling, swimming & other sports too!
Rohit Sharma
- A naturally gifted runner who is awesome at all the distances but with the minimum amount of work
- Looks like an average runner externally as well as by his behaviour but would set the track on fire while racing
- Eats his heart out, misses out important workouts because he didn’t feel like doing it
- No one would believe that he has earned all the medals and trophy in his showcase
Ravichandran Ashwin
- A gyaan guru who knows everything there is to know about running
- Our go to person for all the advice – shoes, apparel, training, races, discount codes et al.
- Has crazy unique style of running but will have a point of view about everyone else – their style of running, their food habits, what they wear etc.
- Always be ready to dole out gyaan (good gyaan) whether asked or not
- Gorges on running books, videos and all other sorts of literature
- He also is the admin of the running whatsapp group and one with the most postings and comments!
Cheteshwar Pujara
- You guessed it right – that hustler of a runner
- The one who runs looooooong and sloooow
- His version of running starts from FMs and goes upto 24 hours/36 hours run format
- People will find him running all the time – morning, afternoon, evening, night and next day too!
- The one who works the hardest and with sincerity of a school topper
- A gem of a person who is in absolute and platonic love with the sport of running
Rishabh Pant
- A maverick newbie who is young, brash but seriously talented
- Everytime he is racing, he will either hit a PB and pick up a PW
- No one can predict how his race will go including himself
- One his day he will make everyone believe that he is God’s gift to the sport of running but when it is not his day he would bomb spectacularly much to the chagrin of his supporters
- Distracted by everything else – the food, the booze, the vanity & more!
Ravindra Jadeja
- A supremely talented runner with a swag of his own
- Has a signature finish line celebration
- A specimen of a running body which stays the same irrespective of how much he eats or trains
- All rounder who is good at all distances – 100m to Ultras
- A fun loving runner who we hardly see train but aces all the races every single time
- In summary, a ROCKSTAR!
Suryakumar Yadav
- A Rockstar of a runner who burst into reckoning super late but owns the scene now
- Runs differently with a technique which in so unique and innovative that it defies all the conventional running wisdom
- Prefers short distances only and belives in going all guns blazing from the first km
- His training methods are different and genuinely enjoys running gruelling strides, intervals and tempo runs and absolutley hates LSD
- Brings unbundled energy and happiness into the running group
And, here are some retired players – only select list.
Ravi Shashtri
- Yesteryear’s Rockstar but one who hardly runs now
- Part of the group only for the post run celebration
- A glib talker who straddles between doling out absolute pearls of wisdom on one side to utter non sense on the other extreme
- A devil may care attitude and has the swag and personality to pull it off too
- A de facto coach of the group!
Gautam Gambhir
- Awesome runner and a smart (a bit over smart) thinker
- His accomplishments are amazing and well respected within the group
- Loves to brag about his accomplishments all the time
- Always keen on knowing about other runners – how they train, their race times, their progress
- Other love to hate him but he doesn’t give a flying f*&^ about it
Virender Sehwag
- The OG maverick of the group who only believes in one way of running – FAST!
- Runs marathons and ultras like a 5K
- Trains and works out the least within the group but he is so bloody talented that he aces all his races
- The funny guy of the group who likes to crack jokes and has loads of hilarious story to tell about others
- An absolute live wire who keeps the group engaged and happening
Sachin Tendulkar
- The GOD!
- He is made for cricket; I cannot imagine him doing anything else!
Turns out that this article can become infinitely long as there are so many more cricketers I would have loved to cover. May be next time! This note is purely for fun and I do not intend to harm anyone’s reputation or feelings. I have incredible respect for each one of the athletes mentioned above.
Discover more from On The Run with Aashu
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
On The Run with Aashu 
Leave a comment