I Would Find The Time To Go And Play Even During My Board Exams, Reveals Virat Kohli
No one has grabbed the headlines more than Virat Kohli in the cricketing world in the last few years. The India skipper has taken his batting to a different altogether.
The reigning ICC Player of the Year has looked almost invincible in recent times. The right-handed batsman averages more than 50 across formats of the international game. His batting has gone to another level since he became the captain.
Kohli has scored 21 Test hundreds including six double tons with all coming since he became the captain. He has also led India to the top of the ICC rankings with 21 Test wins from 34 matches. In 2017, the batting stalwart was named as the Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World and as captain of the ICC Test and ODI Team of the Year respectively.
And time and again, Kohli has credited his supreme fitness behind his incredible transformation as batsman. Kohli had entered the international scene as a chubby guy before he started taking fitness much more seriously post an ordinary IPL in 2012. He changed his training regime and eating habits completely. He realised the importance of remaining fit and is now reaping the rewards for his hard work.
Kohli has also made sure to motivate others to lead a fit life. The India skipper speaks on the importance of fitness whenever he gets a chance. In a recent interview, the 29-year old expressed his disappointment after being told that a survey by PUMA found out that one-third of those surveyed (between 18-40 years) had not indulged in any physical activity in the past year.
“That’s not just worrying, it’s disastrous. If I wasn’t engaged in any physical activity for a year, I don’t think I would be alive. Even if I was not playing professional cricket, I can’t imagine myself not doing any physical activity at all. The survey conducted across 18 cities also shows that people are spending four to five hours every day on the mobile phone. Technology and social platforms rather than being helpful are starting to become harmful for a lot of people,” he told TOI.
“People are losing sense of what are the important things to do, what are the things they need to do for their mental and physical development. When I was growing up, we got together in the evening and played in parks and housing societies. During weekends we used to go to sports complexes and spend the whole day there. We used to find things to do. That used to be a big part of our culture,” added Kohli.
The batting star further revealed how he was inclined towards fitness right from his childhood.
“I played a lot of cricket or badminton when I was young because it gave me immense joy. Did not know then that I was going to be a professional cricketer. I used to watch sports on TV and try and replicate the moves. To save money, we used to create our own courts using tapes, and hammer nails into the ground to mark them out. That used to give us a lot of happiness. And that’s the key thing to find
“Even during my board examinations, I would find the time to go and play. That would relieve my stress. That would give me a lot of joy, made me think positive and look forward to studying again,” he said.
