Former India head coach Ravi Shastri recently shared compelling insights into Virat Kohli’s extraordinary commitment to fitness, describing his work ethic as truly ‘special.’ Speaking on the Willow Talk podcast, Shastri emphasized how Kohli’s relentless dedication became a catalyst, significantly elevating fitness benchmarks across the entire Indian cricket team.
Shastri candidly admitted that before Kohli’s era, India lagged significantly in fitness standards compared to top cricketing nations like Australia, New Zealand, and England. “We were way behind,” he stated. “So, you had to get up to compete there, otherwise, you’d be kings in your backyard. The moment you go outside, you’ll be smashed.” This realization fueled a collective push for improvement.
What set Kohli apart, according to Shastri, was his ability to inspire. His influence transcended individual training; it became a collective movement. “It had to be collective, not just one individual doing it. So, when you had a captain like Virat leading from the front in that department, the others naturally wanted to emulate him,” Shastri explained.
Shastri recounted a memorable incident that perfectly illustrates Kohli’s unwavering commitment. Even after being dismissed for zero in a match in Cape Town, Kohli immediately headed to the nets at Centurion. There, he batted for 45 minutes, then called upon Ragu, a specialist slinger capable of delivering balls at 150-160 kmph from a short distance, to challenge him on a tricky pitch. “Virat wanted him to come after him on a dodgy pitch… But he was relentless,” Shastri recalled.
Despite Shastri’s initial concern for Kohli’s well-being given the intense self-imposed challenge, the star batter emerged from the session completely unscathed, demonstrating his incredible resilience and physical readiness.
Beyond isolated incidents, Kohli’s daily discipline and boundless energy during practice sessions were legendary. “At the ground, day after day, there’s a routine,” Shastri detailed. “He will do his warm-ups, his stretching, take 50 catches in the slip cordon, then go into the outfield for ground fielding, then take a knock, and then go in. The energy he would bring to the table day in, day out was unreal.”
This obsession with peak physical condition was more than just infectious; it sent an unmistakable message to his teammates. Shastri provided a vivid example: “If you’re a lazy bugger running between the wickets, he’s going, ‘You’ll soon find out… He’ll be looking for the third, and you’ve not even finished your second run.’ Immediately, the message is: get to that bloody gym and start training. And get fitter.”
Recently, Kohli, fresh off an IPL final victory with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in June, joined teammates Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, and Shubman Gill in Australia. He was observed intensely training in the nets, performing sprints, and practicing diligently with the squad in preparation for India’s upcoming ODI against Australia, scheduled for October 19.
Shastri’s reflections illuminate why Virat Kohli remains a paradigm of fitness and drive in global cricket, consistently raising the bar for his peers and inspiring future generations of cricketers.