Last Updated:
India batting star Virat Kohli is counted among the fittest cricketers of the current era.
Virat Kohli retires as an all-time great. (PTI Photo)
While Virat Kohli will be remembered for his batting exploits and aggressive captaincy, he also played a key role in changing the mindset of Indian players with regards to fitness. Cheteshwar Pujara credits Kohli for introducing fitness culture in the team.
“When he (Kohli) started leading the team from 2015 onwards, that’s the time when he brought in the fitness culture in the Indian team,” Pujara said on ESPNcricinfo. “All the teams were trying to work hard on their fitness, but in the Indian team, the fitness had to improve and that was the time when the shift did come in.”
During Kohli’s reign as Test captain, India became a fast-bowling powerhouse with the likes of Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj becoming key contributors to the team’s rise to the top of the Test rankings.
One of the prime reasons why the fast bowlers excelled was the fact that they also had to be in top shape to maintain the intensity throughout a contest.
“The number of fast bowlers who came into the Indian team at that time also had to work on their fitness. The entire team started working on the fitness and at the same time, Virat paid a lot of attention to the Test format and he wanted the team to be one of the best in the world,” he said.
“From the time he was in charge, he always wanted to take 20 wickets. So the intensity on the field was very important. And for each and every player to put in those suggestions to take those 20 wickets, it was important that everyone came together and then we started working towards the goal,” he added.
Kohli recently announced he’s retiring from Test cricket, bringing an end to a glorious career that saw him score 9230 runs from 123 Tests.
- First Published:
