Noticed the new fitness bands Indian cricket players are wearing?

In the first group match of the ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup between India and Ireland, players were observed wearing a new fitness band. This is not the first instance of Indian players sporting these bands; during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, players including Virat Kohli were seen wearing a similar band that lacked a display.

The fitness band, developed by the US-based company WHOOP, is not a sponsored accessory but is used by players to monitor their fitness and recovery. WHOOP was founded by Will Ahmed in 2015, and in 2021, they launched their 4.0 version. Following this, they entered into a partnership with OpenAI and introduced the WHOOP Coach.

The brand is well-regarded among athletes globally, extending beyond the realm of cricket. Notable sports figures such as basketball star LeBron James, swimmer Michael Phelps, and golfers Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods are known to wear the band.

The WHOOP band provides users with real-time stress scores and recovery-focused tracking, offering valuable data points to help athletes enhance their performance and gain a deeper understanding of their physical capabilities. WHOOP offers a membership program that integrates fitness tracking with access to a data-driven coaching platform and includes the WHOOP strap.

Recently, WHOOP announced its service availability in India, featuring annual and 24-month membership options priced at Rs 19,598 and Rs 33,308.52, respectively. The membership comes with a free WHOOP 4.0 band that includes a lifetime warranty and access to the WHOOP app.

WHOOP welcomed legendary footballer Cristiano Ronaldo as an investor and global brand ambassador. Will Ahmed, CEO of WHOOP, expressed in a press statement, “Cristiano has been a WHOOP member for a number of years, and we’re proud to strengthen our relationship further through this partnership. Cristiano’s relentless pursuit of improvement and perfection mirrors our mission. We are looking forward to collaborating with him to share unprecedented insights into his training and recovery methods. Together, we'll unveil exciting product collaborations to enhance the WHOOP experience for our members.”

This collaboration aligns with WHOOP’s recent expansion into new regions. WHOOP now operates in five of the six GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Kuwait, and Bahrain, as well as Hong Kong, Israel, Korea, and Taiwan.