The level of fitness has improved tremendously in cricket all around the globe. Fitness is a prerequisite and a given to play at the international level of all sports. Diet, which is fitness-centric, has changed as awareness and consciousness have increased. The popular notion that the need for meat for sheer power and better health has now been countered by many players' 100 percent vegetarian diets.
1. Peter Siddle
Peter Siddle became a vegetarian very early in his cricket career. One of the major influences in this decision-making was his partner. It was much later that he became a vegan. Before the 2013 Ashes in England, Peter Siddle turned vegan. However, his fitness wasn't the only motivator for him. Peter Siddle stated that he felt very deeply about animal cruelty. That was one of the reasons for him to change from being a hardcore meat lover to accepting a vegan lifestyle.
2. Cheteshwar Pujara
Pujara has become one of the essential pillars of the Indian cricket team. He is a significant reason for the team's success in recent years, both in India and abroad. His ability to bat for long hours and hold one side is second. The success of this skill should get attributed to the individual's fitness. He is known to follow a strict vegetarian diet. The Lacto vegetarian diet, which Pujara follows, does not allow him to eat eggs.
3. Adam Zampa
Adam Zampa results from a pool of leg spinners that Australia has developed in the last decade. Besides Australia, Zampa has represented several franchises worldwide and has turned out to be an incentive for all the teams. Zampa has been very vocal about his decision to turn vegetarian. On many occasions, he has come out talking about the issue of cruelty against animals. Zampa did not turn into a complete vegan to keep up with his performance.
4. Mady Villiers
The English off-spinner has had a decent start to her international cricket career. The right-hander has an average of 18 in T20s. Keeping in mind the performance on the international level, Mady started avoiding meat and eventually became a vegetarian. She also started advocating for the vegan diet, a more extreme form of vegetarianism. Mady Villiers has been a vegetarian since 2019.
5. Jason Gillespie
One of the bowling greats of Australia, Gillespie was a strong pillar of the dominant Australian side in the first decade of the century. Gillespie opened up about his non-vegetarian days when he was an international athlete professional. However, in 2014, after he retired from international cricket, he decided to turn vegetarian due to animal cruelty.
6. Kane Richardson
Richardson has been in and out of the Australian squad for quite some time. He has represented several franchises worldwide and gained a great deal of experience in different conditions. In 2014, the right-arm pacer decided to turn into a vegetarian. Getting closer to nature helped him to avoid eating non-vegetarian food. He also calls out the success of Virat Kohli in maintaining his health while avoiding non-vegetarian food.
7. Ishant Sharma
Ishant Sharma is a workhorse of the Indian cricket team. It is difficult for a fast bowler to maintain consistency in performance for years. Ishant Sharma has been one of the few such bowlers who has not only been consistent but has also improved in his game with time. Ishant Sharma is the epitome of fitness, and a significant reason for this can get attributed to his vegetarian diet. In his initial days, Ishant took the advice of his coaches and consumed the meat and non-vegetarian food for enhanced performance. However, the experience of visiting a butcher changed his perspective on non-vegetarian items, and Ishant decided to become a vegetarian.
8. Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin is a top-ranked, off-spinner in today's time. He has improved his game with time and is undoubtedly the most feared spinner of this era. Ravichandran Ashwin has been following a vegetarian diet since childhood. However, he started having eggs and chicken. Soon, he turned back to vegetarian diets. Ravichandran Ashwin's food choices have helped him remain injury-free for an extended period of his career.
9. Marizzane Kapp
Marizzane Kapp made it to the headlines when she became the first South African to take a hat-trick in T20 internationals. She has been a vegetarian since childhood and is still one now. According to ESPN Cricinfo, Kapp has porridge for breakfast, along with roast asparagus and sometimes a salad.
10. Virat Kohli
The Indian captain has changed the fitness standards of not only Indian cricket but also of world cricket. From being a hardcore non-vegetarian to a disciplined vegetarian, Virat's journey is a testament to the potential of a vegetarian diet in maintaining fitness. Along with his wife, Virat turned vegetarian for fitness reasons and, since then, has become the poster boy of vegetarian diets. The much-talked-about meal of the flamboyant right-hander mainly includes spinach, eggs, vegetables, and quinoa.
