'So much pressure that you want to..': Ex-India cricketer answers whether 'sex is normal' in cricket

A pivotal figure in the Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) triumphant run to the 2024 IPL title, following two challenging seasons in 2022 and 2023, was their assistant coach Abhishek Nayar. The seasoned cricketer received high praise from stars Varun Chakravarthy and Venkatesh Iyer after KKR's victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final held in Chennai last month. Nayar's impact extends beyond the IPL. In 2022, he played a crucial role in Dinesh Karthik's remarkable comeback, which saw Karthik earn a spot in the T20 World Cup squad.

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Abhishek Nayar addresses a unique but relevant query

On Friday, a clip went viral on social media featuring Abhishek Nayar during an interview on YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia's recent podcast show. In the clip, Nayar appeared momentarily stumped by a question from Allahbadia, who asked if players are advised against having sex, given the general notion that it tends to ruin the performance of athletes.

Nayar's response echoed sentiments once expressed by Brazilian football legend Ronaldo Nazario. Ronaldo, who played a key role in Brazil's 2002 FIFA World Cup triumph, was famously asked if winning the World Cup was better than having sex. He replied intriguingly: "I have had sex several times before some games. It helps you concentrate. Not all the coaches let you have sex before a match, though. I have noticed that in some games, I played better because I had sex before them."

Speaking on ‘The Ranveer show’, Nayar was initially baffled at the question from the anchor before explaining that while abstaining from having sex has worked for few players, it hasn't quite for most, implying that it has always been a more individual choice for the players. Here is how the conversation went…

Anchor: Final topic, sex in cricket? Is it a factor in the lives of players?

Nayar: Are you asking this in a positive way or a negative way? You have asked a very open-ended question. It will happen. Which human being will survive without it? But is it good or bad? Is that your question? Or is your question 'kitna hota hai? '

Anchor: I want to answer this, but I want to see what you answer is with me telling.

Nayar: It's normal for anyone to do it. It's different for everybody. There is this constant fight and conundrum in every cricketer's mind. Some people will like it, some will abstain. Some cricketers do believe that their power and focus tend to improve if they don't have sex, while others follow that and end up concluding that nothing has changed for them. So this is a very individual thing. There is no thumb rule. The fact is, at different phases in life, different things work. No one is desperate, but sometimes there is so much pressure that you want to chill.