Australia all-rounder Marcus Stoinis has been traveling with a private Indian chef on the ongoing tour of India. He first featured in the three-match ODI series and is now playing in the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023.
Stoinis, 34, known for his dedication to fitness and meticulous dietary preferences, has a primary goal to maintain a low-carb diet throughout the tournament. For this, he had adopted a ketogenic diet, characterized by high fat and low carb intake.
His dishes are prepared by chef Velton Saldanha, originally from Mumbai and trained in French cuisine. He prepares these specially tailored dishes within the kitchens of the Australian team's hotel, ensuring Stoinis adheres to his dietary requirements.
"Quite a few of the Indian boys do it, that's where I got the idea. I've always been quite strict with my food and all that stuff in my preparation,” Stoinis told cricket.com.au's 'Unplayable Podcast'.
While the Australian team already has its dedicated chef managing their meals during their travels across the country, Stoinis has taken an extra step in his relentless pursuit of peak performance.
"Garlic naan is out. Gluten-free banana bread and shepherd's pie with roasted cauliflower mash are in. A roast butter chicken, the intersection of Saldanha's French training and his Indian heritage, has also been a hit. Stoinis is getting by on baked oats – at least for the small carbohydrate portion of his meticulously curated diet By the end of the World Cup, Saldanha might be able to sell the 'Stoinis Oats' as a standalone dish," the report added.
Saldanha was referred to Stoinis by his Lucknow Super Giants teammate and India cricketer KL Rahul. Saldanha is the founder of Mumbai's Chutney Collective, a culinary venture that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Stoinis has faced challenges in finding consistent form in this World Cup as he suffered a hamstring and quad concern. In the three matches he has participated in thus far, his scores have been 5, 20 not out, and 21.
"I want to play for as long as I can. I want to take control of as many things as I can through my cricketing career. We travel a lot and we're obviously away from our comfort zone. We're in different time zones, we're in different beds, we're in different hotels – we're not exactly by the beach in Perth, having a coffee and that sort of stuff.
"I'm more than happy to invest in myself and my environment. I don't see that stuff, which some people do, as a waste (of money). I'm happy to invest in my own chef or invest in my own batting coach or invest in my own sports psychologist – that's just the way I see things,” he added.
Australia will next play England in Ahmedabad on November 4.
(PTI inputs)
