Rohit Sharma said he believes fitness is more about controlling one’s mind than about physical appearance, especially for cricket players. The India captain explained that his longevity in the sport reflects how he has kept himself prepared to meet the demands and challenges of cricket. Rohit, 38, emphasised that a player should be ready to contribute to the team’s success, and that preparation involves fitness, recovery, and diet.
Rohit Sharma made his international debut in 2007 and played in all three formats until June 2024. The superstar cricketer retired from T20I cricket after leading India to a World Cup triumph in Barbados on June 29. He continues to lead India in the ODI and Test formats and is expected to feature in the Indian Premier League.
“To play for 17 years and close to 500 games for India, not many cricketers globally have achieved that. There must be very few in number. To have that longevity, there has to be something about your routine, how you manage your fitness and mindset, and how you train yourself. It’s important to be ready for a game. Our job is to be 100 percent ready to perform. And then, if you look back, preparation includes fitness, recovery, and what you eat. For me to be game-ready, 100 percent and at my best, we have to manage 3–4 aspects,” Rohit said during an interaction with FITTR.
“Every body is different; every individual is different,” he added.
Since Rohit Sharma’s debut in 2007, only Virat Kohli (535) has played more international matches. Rohit has played 485 matches, scoring 19,245 runs, including 48 centuries and 106 fifties. MS Dhoni, with 463 matches, ranks third in this period.
“The demand has increased in international cricket in the last five to seven years. There have been many games, and you travel a lot. Then, you had Covid-19. Imagine sitting in a room and doing nothing, and then, within a week, you have to play.
“For me, for cricketers, fitness is not about how you look body-wise; it’s about what you can contribute to the team. It’s about whether you can be on the field for five days with full intensity. Can you play a 100-over game, the ODI format, and be at your best for all 100 overs? And then, if there’s energy left, you can play the T20 format.
“You have to train your body in a way that prepares you for all of this. For the past 8-9 years, I have been playing all three formats regularly. There is a lot of demand on your body, a lot of toll, and not much break in between.
