File photo of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma© Agence France-Presse
Fitness has not always been a criterion for selection in the Indian team, but as cricket has evolved, a lot has changed. With Virat Kohli being the best example, the Indian players have worked hard to achieve their first goal. The introduction of the yo-yo Test even forced players to work on their fitness in order to make it into the Indian team. However, there are also still talks of players like Rohit Sharma who often engage people in discussions about fitness. But as far as Indian strength and conditioning coach Ankit Kaliyar is concerned, Rohit is as fit as Kohli.
“Rohit Sharma is a decent player. He has good physique. He looks a bit bulky but he always passes the yo-yo test. He is as fit as Virat Kohli. He looks like he is huge but we have seen him on the field. His agility and ability,” he said in a conversation with the Times of India. The movement is amazing. He is among the best cricketers.”
Talking about Kohli, Kaliyar had no qualms in admitting that it was the star batsman who brought about a change in the team’s fitness culture.
“Virat is a leading example when it comes to fitness. He has created a culture of fitness in the team. When your best player is very fit, you become a role model for others. He infuses confidence in others. When he was the captain, he made sure everyone stayed fit. Physical fitness was his most important criteria in the team. He created that culture and discipline in the team. That atmosphere was created by Virat bhai and it is something to be commended. He is the reason why all the Indian players are there. Very appropriate,” said Kalliar.
The India coach also revealed that Shubman Gill sees Virat Kohli as an inspiration not only from a batsman’s point of view but also from a fitness perspective.
“Shubman is very fit. Not just fit, he is a very skillful player. There is no doubt that Shubman is inspired by Virat bhai. Be it batting, fitness or skill, Shubman follows Virat bhai. I am sure Shubman will be too He stressed that the country will achieve good results in the coming years.
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