HT Brunch Cover Story: Pace yourself, Navdeep Saini is here!

“You need challenges to keep yourself motivated, hone your competitive spirit and improve your game,” explains Navdeep. “But ultimately, my competition is with my own self: how I can be a better version of myself.”

Firm of body

At 28, Navdeep has had a lifetime of challenges. The Karnal boy had a passion for cricket as a child, inspired by his father who worked as a driver in government service and handled the bat very well, as well as his older brother, an all-rounder in the game.

His father and brother did everything they could to ensure that Navdeep’s potential was fulfilled and soon Navdeep was playing for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy tournament. In the 2013-2014 season, former India opener Gautam Gambhir watched Navdeep play and insisted on getting him into the Delhi team.

Since then, Navdeep’s career has been on a roll. Any downs he may face along with his many ups are just blips in his life. This is because of his mindset. For Navdeep, problems are simply challenges and challenges must be taken head on.

“When the lockdown happened last year, all matches were cancelled,” he remembers. “I was disheartened, but then I decided to make the most of my time to ensure that I remained physically and mentally fit. I also made it a point to take up the fitness challenges doing the rounds on social media.”

To keep himself at the top of his game, Navdeep set up a gym at his home in Karnal. “So I continued to follow my routine exercise schedule of yoga, balancing drills and weight training,” he says. “As a fast bowler, I need to focus on my running too, so I ran and even trained with hurdles. My father has a farm here and that’s where I ran and hurdled.”

To prevent injuries, Navdeep bought a huge tank in which he took ice baths after his exercise sessions. And to keep himself relaxed and mentally strong, he meditated regularly. “Once the unlock process started, I also started net practices at a local cricket academy,” says the pacer.

Strong of mind

His passion for fitness is why Navdeep can boast of eight-pack abs – and boast he does! He is very proud of them – or rather, what it took to get them. “I have been on a disciplined fitness regime for the last six-seven years, thanks to my personal trainer, Ahmed Nasir,” he grins. “Ahmed not only guided me in terms of physical exercises but also showed me the importance of being focussed and consistent. He helped me realise the importance of a good diet schedule and the body’s need for adequate sleep and rest. It’s easy to get six-pack or eight-pack abs, but it’s not easy to maintain them. For that, you need hard work, consistency and the discipline to follow the process completely.”

Clearly, Navdeep did not allow the lockdown to put him in vacation mode: newspapers at the time carried striking photographs of his toned body that put his dedication to the discipline of fitness on full display.

“Your performance and fitness levels get you fans, but behind that is discipline, focus and hard work,” he says. “I always keep in mind something my father had told me several years ago. He said: ‘if you are focussed on your goals and what you want to achieve, fans and fame will follow on their own. So achieving your goals should be your primary concern.’ I come from a humble background and I have seen enough ups and downs in life to know what is important for me.”

Though Navdeep has deep respect for his father, his older brother is his guide, mentor and secret keeper. And as a sportsperson, Navdeep is inspired by his current captain, Virat Kohli, and footballer Cristiano Ronaldo.  

“I have been totally inspired by how Virat bhai changed his entire life through fitness,” Navdeep says. “His will to give 110 per cent to a game is very motivating. As for Ronaldo, I have been following his career for years and his fitness levels have always inspired me to keep improving my skills.”

Fun times

As the country began to unlock, Navdeep learnt to drive and bought a Harley Davidson. “As far as cars are concerned, I’m quite in awe of the Range Rover Velar,” he reveals.

The pacer also worked on his cooking skills, helping his mother in the kitchen and treating his family to a variety of dishes. “Of late, I have tried to cook different things, though my personal favourite is grilled food as it is light and healthy,” he says.

Interestingly, Navdeep is famous among his teammates for his innovative smoothies. “Whenever we practice, I experiment with ingredients and all my teammates look forward to trying them,” he grins.

His closest friends on the team are Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant. “I also share a bond with Yuzi bhai (Yuzvendra Chahal) who speaks in Haryanvi while I crack jokes in Punjabi. Rishabh and Shubman, who are also Punjabi, join in the fun. Sometimes, even Virat bhai joins us and the whole evening is spent in masti which not only relaxes us but makes us bond better,” says Navdeep, who enjoys listening to Punjabi singers like Diljit Dosanjh and Karan Aujla.

Navdeep is inspired by Akshay Kumar’s fitness level and thinks Jacqueline Fernandez and Nora Fatehi are quite attractive. As a celeb himself, he has a good social media presence and is trying to constantly evolve his sense of style, but he doesn’t let all of this distract him from his actual goals.

“Social media is a great way to connect with your fans, but most of these followers are only there because of your performance, so it’s important to focus on the game,” he says. “As for trolls, I ignore them.”

As focussed as he is on his job, Navdeep knows that he needs to give back what he has got, which makes him eager to help young talent however he can, especially those from humble backgrounds like his own. That’s why, he has joined hands with his close friend Piyush Sachdeva as the goodwill ambassador for his NGO, India Sport & WoMEN Sports Foundation.

“I’m also passionate about promoting our national handlooms, and recently did a campaign about reinventing khadi,” adds Navdeep.

From HT Brunch, April 11, 2021

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