Marcus Stoinis Takes Inspiration from Indian Cricketers for World Cup Fitness
Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis has made a unique move during the 2023 Cricket World Cup by traveling with his personal chef as part of the team. Stoinis, known for his dedication to fitness, has taken cues from Indian cricketers. He adopted this approach after experiencing it with the Lucknow franchise during the Indian Premier League (IPL) and is now implementing it during the World Cup.
Stoinis is following a strict ketogenic diet, which is high in fats and low in carbs. Baked oats loaded with protein are one of his favorite dishes. While in India, Stoinis travels with Wellington Saldanha, an Indian chef who prepares specialized meals, particularly focused on low-carb options. Wellington was born in Mumbai and is a trained chef in French cuisine.
Stoinis revealed, "A lot of Indian guys do it, and that's where I got the idea. I've always been pretty disciplined about my diet and my preparation."
Unlike the Australian team, which has its own chef responsible for preparing meals as they travel around the country, Stoinis takes it a step further. He brings his private chef, Saldanha, along with him, and Saldanha prepares Stoinis's meals in the team's hotel kitchen in India.
Stoinis is currently focused on a low-carb diet, and he's actively working on baked oats with fewer carbohydrates. It's been reported that by the end of the World Cup, Saldanha might even brand Stoinis's baked oats as a standalone dish.
Stoinis had a challenging journey in this tournament, struggling with hamstring and quad injuries that kept him out of the initial matches. So far, in the three games he's played, he has scored 5, 20, and 21.
He said, "I want to play for as long as I can. I want to control as many things as I can during my cricket career. We travel a lot, and we're a long way from our comfort zone. We're in different time zones, we're in different beds, we're in different hotels, we don't have a lot of coffee, and stuff like that."
Stoinis doesn't consider the investment in his personal chef as a waste of money. He believes it's vital for his overall performance. He stated, "That's why I'm happy to invest in my own chef, or invest in my own batting coach, or invest in my own sports psychologist, it's how I look at things."
