M.S. Dhoni and company have been presented with a vision document that encourages cricketers to have sex during a tournament, including the type that leaves one with an aching hand.

And Prakash Kothari, India’s most well-known sexologist, has given his thumbs up to the master carnal strategy put together by coach Gary Kirsten and mental conditioning expert Paddy Upton. "A good performance in an indoor sport can lead to a fantastic performance in an outdoor sport," he says.

The vision document says, "If you want sex but do not have someone to share it with, one option is to go solo whilst imagining you have a partner, or a few partners, who are as beautiful as you wish to imagine."

Kothari approves. "Masturbation involves fantasy which is more colourful than reality. It can be as beneficial before a game because it is as normal as intercourse. And in this age of HIV/AIDS, it is a better option than doing it with a stranger."

In fact, the sexologist thinks that the self-sufficient mode of sex is quite user-friendly because there is no fear of performance failure involved.

Kothari recalls an interesting conversation on sex and sporting performance with renowned sexologist Wardell Pomeroy, who co-authored Sexual Behavior in the Human Male with Alfred D Kinsey. "Many Olympic gold medallists had told him that they had enjoyed sex even 30 minutes before a performance," he says.

"After all, good sex with a good person in a good time in good manner can be very satisfying. It can improve the efficiency of an individual in all spheres of life, including sport," says Kothari.