Rohit Sharma is lazy? Ex-coach makes '100%' claim, exposes big misconception about India star's fitness

Former India National Cricket Team strength and conditioning coach Soham Desai has shared his bold views on the constant criticism faced by ODI captain Rohit Sharma over his fitness.

Soham Desai said that Rohit Sharma can 100% improve his fitness, but the perception that he doesn't work hard on it is totally wrong. Desai also said that he was honoured to coach a player like Virat Kohli.

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Rohit Sharma and the fitness standards criticism

Rohit Sharma is regarded as one of the modern-day greats, and he has emerged as one of the best captains in the history of Indian cricket.

With the bat, Rohit's exceptional performances have already put him in the list of greatest of all-time, but his fitness has long been a subject of debate due to his relatively "bulky" physique compared to other elite athletes.

Even though Rohit Sharma has continued to flourish on the field of cricket for close to 20 years, he has frequently countered concerns about his fitness levels and faced criticism about it.

Rohit has always passed the Yo-Yo test, and his agility and mobility are also excellent, with him being one of the most reliable players on the field. However, the trolls and critics have targeted the Indian ODI skipper over his body shape.

Meanwhile, the 38-year-old was last seen in action during the Indian Premier League 2025 for the Mumbai Indians. Rohit announced his retirement from Test cricket in May 2025; hence, he is now only active in ODI cricket in the international arena.

He was expected to make a comeback to cricket during the India tour of Bangladesh 2025 for the ODI matches, but with that series postponed, Rohit Sharma will be seen in action in the series against Sri Lanka, the discussions for which are underway.

People assume Rohit doesn’t work hard on his fitness - Soham Desai

Soham Desai, who served as the strength and conditioning coach of Team India for five years, in an interview with the Indian Express, talked about how Rohit Sharma approaches his fitness. While slamming Rohit Sharma's fitness critics, Desai said:

"People assume Rohit doesn’t work hard on his fitness. Given his history, for him to lead at the highest level for four years with a game or two missed is significant. He cannot do that by fluke, right? He must be doing something right. Can he get better? Yes, 100%. He will be the first one to say that. But to assume that he doesn’t work hard is a bit much."

While speaking about Virat Kohli, Soham Desai said that he is a role model for the athletes and showcased sheer hunger and determination to become the No.1. He stated:

"What should I say about Virat? It has been an honour to coach a student like him. A model athlete. He started out wanting to be the best, he got there through sheer will. He was aggressive, hungry and wanted to be number one. Both Rohit and Virat had the same team vision—to dominate world cricket —they approached it differently."

They are both different individuals - Soham Desai on Rahul Dravid and Ravi Shastri

During his tenure with Team India, Soham Desai also got the opportunity to work with two of the best ever coaches, Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid, who played a key role in the team's dominance in world cricket.

Desai said that Shastri and Dravid were two totally different individuals, but had only one goal of making India a dominant force. He elaborated:

"They are both different individuals, with different approaches but with eye on similar end goals—building a culture/team that dominates world cricket. Ravi bhai used to be precise, direct and clear in his requirements. Then it was on us to work with (Bharat) Arun sir and (R) Sridhar sir and get things done. But he will keep a close eye and notice everything."

"Rahul bhai would sit down to understand things in detail. He will first lay out a plan, explain what we are trying to do as a team, this is how we are going to do it, this is where you come in, etc etc. Then it is on us to make plans that compliment the team’s plan and if there is a situation that may impact the team’s plan, we would communicate and he would always be receptive. Essentially, he was involved and had a bird’s eye view on the entire operation."