Virat Kohli Introduced Fitness Culture In Indian Cricket: 'Entire Team...'

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Last Updated:May 14, 2025, 12:40 IST

India batting prima Virat Kohli is counted among the fittest cricketers of the existent era.

Virat Kohli retires arsenic an all-time great. (PTI Photo)

While Virat Kohli volition beryllium remembered for his batting exploits and assertive captaincy, helium besides played a cardinal relation successful changing the mindset of Indian players with regards to fitness. Cheteshwar Pujara credits Kohli for introducing fittingness civilization successful the team.

“When helium (Kohli) started starring the squad from 2015 onwards, that’s the clip erstwhile helium brought successful the fittingness civilization successful the Indian team," Pujara said connected ESPNcricinfo. “All the teams were trying to enactment hard connected their fitness, but successful the Indian team, the fittingness had to amended and that was the clip erstwhile the displacement did travel in."

During Kohli’s reign arsenic Test captain, India became a fast-bowling powerhouse with the likes of Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj becoming cardinal contributors to the team’s emergence to the apical of the Test rankings.

One of the premier reasons wherefore the accelerated bowlers excelled was the information that they besides had to beryllium successful apical signifier to support the strength passim a contest.

“The fig of accelerated bowlers who came into the Indian squad astatine that clip besides had to enactment connected their fitness. The full squad started moving connected the fittingness and astatine the aforesaid time, Virat paid a batch of attraction to the Test format and helium wanted the squad to beryllium 1 of the champion successful the world," helium said.

“From the clip helium was successful charge, helium ever wanted to instrumentality 20 wickets. So the strength connected the tract was precise important. And for each and each subordinate to enactment successful those suggestions to instrumentality those 20 wickets, it was important that everyone came unneurotic and past we started moving towards the goal," helium added.

Kohli precocious announced he’s retiring from Test cricket, bringing an extremity to a glorious vocation that saw him people 9230 runs from 123 Tests.

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News cricket Virat Kohli Introduced Fitness Culture In Indian Cricket: 'Entire Team...'