Just like everyone in the cricket fraternity, India pacer Navdeep Saini is currently spending time at home in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak, which has claimed more than 298,000 lives and infected over 4,444,000 people globally thus far.
WATCH - Navdeep Saini flaunts workout skills including incredible balancing on soda cans
In India, around 78,000 confirmed cases have been reported thus far while 2500+ people have lost their lives.
India has been under a nationwide shutdown since March 25 in the fight against Coronavirus and Saini is obeying the guidelines like a truly responsible citizen.
Speaking to The Indian Express, the lanky fast bowler said: “What’s happening right now is quite unprecedented. I’ve been staying at my residence with my family for close to two months now. I have to admit that I miss being in action.”
Saini further said he has contributed his bit in the battle against COVID-19 but prefers not to talk about it.
“I know for a fact that a lot of current cricketers have done their bit in the fight against this pandemic, but that doesn’t mean they will announce it on social media. Nobody is craving for publicity in these times,” he stated.
The 27-year-old also reflected on his performances during the New Zealand tour earlier this year. He got two chances each in T20Is and ODIs against the Black Caps.
While Navdeep could take only two wickets in those four games, he caught everyone’s attention with his batting skills in the second ODI at Auckland. He played a handy knock of 49-ball 45 in India’s unsuccessful chase of 274.
“Before that match, our throwdown specialist Raghu noticed that I was middling everything I was facing. Our batting coach (Vikram Rathour) also chipped in with inputs. All that helped me on match day,” he recalled.
Under normal circumstances, Navdeep Saini would have been playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the 13th edition of Indian Premier League but the deadly pandemic has forced the BCCI to postpone the cash-rich event indefinitely.
“It’s not about the IPL getting postponed or any other sporting events getting cancelled. The danger this virus poses is immense and I think the safety of people is paramount now,” the paceman said.
Saini has been running around and indulging in a bit of shadow bowling to keep himself fit in this testing time.
“Under these circumstances, this is the best I could do, because I have to find ways to train and maintain my fitness levels so that whenever international cricket resumes, I will be ready,” he revealed.
Luckily, Navdeep had installed a makeshift gym at his residence before the shutdown and is making good use of it.
“Thankfully, I managed to set up a gym at home just before the lockdown was imposed. It’s mostly cardio, a bit of free weights and some light running,” he concluded.
(Inputs from The Indian Express)
