Bhuvneshwar Kumar has returned to India’s T20I squad for the New Zealand series after nearly four years away from the format
Shah Fahad, founder and CEO of Alpha Human, has worked with the India pacer for five to six years on personalised nutrition
Bhuvneshwar follows a vegetarian diet, with his meal plan shaped around training load, food preferences and performance targets
Bhuvneshwar Kumar's selection for India's T20I squad for the New Zealand series, after almost four years out of the format, has put renewed focus on the preparation fast bowlers need to stay competitive at the top level.
Shah Fahad, founder and CEO of Alpha Human, a personalised nutrition company, has worked with the India pacer for the past five to six years, the press release stated. His work focuses on the athlete's individual requirements, training timetable, food preferences and performance targets.
That kind of support matters for fast bowlers, who face heavy training and match loads and need strong recovery routines. Nutrition also plays a part in helping them meet energy needs and maintain enough protein and other nutrients during demanding schedules.
The recall also provides a broader sporting backdrop. It shows how nutrition, recovery and workload management sit behind a player's comeback, even though final selection and performance are decided on the field.
Personalised Nutrition Approach
Bhuvneshwar follows a vegetarian diet.
Meeting energy, protein and other nutrient needs during hard training blocks means his meal plan has to be carefully tailored. Fahad does not use a one-size-fits-all template. Instead, he shapes guidance around the pacer's preferences, workload and performance goals.
Nutrition is also tied to the wider support staff. Fahad collaborates with strength and conditioning coaches and physiotherapists so that diet lines up with training demands and recovery plans. For fast bowlers, that coordination supports preparation through intense practice sessions and match schedules.
DNA Testing And Recovery
Fahad has also brought DNA testing into his personalised nutrition approach.
The aim is to use genetic information to understand certain health and nutrition tendencies. Even so, the release stated that injury risk for fast bowlers depends on several factors, among them workload, previous injuries, conditioning and recovery.
“Champions don't guess, they decode. Personalised nutrition is about understanding the individual, while recognising that performance is built through the combined efforts of the athlete and the wider support team,” Fahad said.
For a professional cricketer, fitness is an ongoing process, not something confined to match days. Training intensity, workload management, nutrition and recovery all affect a player's ability to cope with the demands of a long season.
Fahad's work extends beyond one cricketer.
Besides Bhuvneshwar, he has worked with other cricketers, golfers, Paralympic gold medallists and celebrities, adapting his nutritional advice to each person's needs. The release stated that this approach is about tailoring guidance to individuals rather than following a standard plan.
Bhuvneshwar's return gives that work a clear sporting frame. While places in the side and match results depend on what players produce on the field, fitness, workload management and recovery remain key to extending a fast bowler's career.
