Dubai: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) defeated Mumbai Indians by five wickets in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 opener in Abu Dhabi on Saturday (September 19). Apart from the excitement for the first game of the tournament, there were various other things that got marked.
While it was full-on entertainment from the word go, some players from the Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma and left-handed batsman Saurabh Tiwary were body-shamed in the social media for the post-lockdown waist.
I have never played more than gully cricket but I am pretty shocked to see some players in the #IPL2020 looking so unfit. I can’t think of another physical sport where players at the highest level could cope with these fitness levels.
— Viren Rasquinha (@virenrasquinha) September 19, 2020
The extra size of the players or fat on their waistlines led former Indian hockey captain Viren Rasquinha to tweet, “I have never played more than gully cricket but I am pretty shocked to see some players in the #IPL2020 looking so unfit. I can’t think of another physical sport where players at the highest level could cope with these fitness levels.”
Couple of healthy waistlines today…..
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) September 19, 2020
Indian television commentator Harsha Bhogle tweeted, “Couple of healthy waistlines today…..” The Twitterati users even used the term ‘Indian Paunch League’ and gave a sarcastic look at this circumstance. “Alright skinny mini…..careful of that chocolate mousse (winking face emoji with tongue out),” tweeted former Australian women’s cricketer Lisa Sthalekar.
Alright skinny mini…..careful of that chocolate mousse 😜
— Lisa Sthalekar (@sthalekar93) September 19, 2020
Clearly, the lack of chances to go to the gyms for fitness as everything were closed, run in the fields and camp in the nets due to the ongoing lockdown for the spread of COVID-19 in India seems to have done a very bad effect on the Indian players fitness levels largely.
The 13th edition of IPL was the first competitive game of cricketing front in six months. The IPL 2020 has been moved to the UAE as the effect of deadly novel coronavirus has been increasing day-by-day in India.
