Indian skipper Virat Kohli debuted in international cricket in 2008. When he was in his early days in international cricket, he was being regarded as one for the future, but no one would have expected so much from him at that time. Kohli wasn’t the fittest as well during his initial period at the highest level.
However, all that changed and became a thing of the past once he underwent extensive fitness regime under the guidance and mentorship of former Strength and Conditioning coach Shanker Basu. During an Instagram live session with football captain Sunil Chhetri on Sunday (May 18), the 31-year-old Kohli credited Basu for revamping his career.
Kohli stated, “It (fitness and training) is everything for me. The biggest transition in my career came in 2015 because of Mr. Shanker Basu. I would not take credit for it, for me the biggest factor for my career going in another template has to be him.”
Kohli further opined. “He (Basu) was a trainer at RCB, he introduced me to lifting. I was a bit hesitant; I had some back issues; it was a totally new concept for me. But within three weeks I was amazed at the results that followed. After that, he worked with me on my diet, I started paying attention to what was happening with my body, that’s when I realised that because of my genes, I have to work twice or thrice on my body, I am doing the basic thing which my career requires me to do.”
Kohli remains one of the fittest athletes in the sporting arena at present. The right-hander isn’t only known for his immaculate consistency with the long handle, but also for his ability to work hard on his body and maintain a healthy standard of living.
