Virat Kohli Can Play Till His Early 40s: Deep Dasgupta

Virat Kohli has impinged himself in the cricketing folklore as one of the greatest ever cricketers to have graced this beautiful game. And he has done that not only through his insatiable hunger for runs or the plethora of records that have made or through his tenacity of being the best but also because of the standards he has set as far as fitness is concerned.

Kohli wasn’t the fittest of blokes when he arrived on the scene in 2008. He was a typical Delhi boy who loved his Chola bhaturas, naan, and all the traditional north Indian dishes. But a realization in 2012 that he needs to work on his fitness if he has to become the best in the world across all the three formats led to a whirlwind change.

Kohli is now the benchmark as far as fitness is concerned and former Indian wicketkeeper-turned-commentator Deep Dasgupta feels that the Indian captain can continue playing till his the early 40s. Dasgupta feels that Kohli has got the structure- physically and mentally- that can propel him till his early 40s.

“He [Virat Kohli] is physically extremely fit. He is very disciplined… He is in his early 30s, so he can basically go on for maybe five, six, or maybe even 10 years and play till he is 40. He has got a structure, both mentally and physically, that can propel him to play till his early 40s. More than the physical side, it is the mental side of it… He is such an intense kind of person. When he is in it, he is in it,” Deep Dasgupta said during an Instagram Live session with Sportskeeda.

Also Read: Rohit Sharma Edges Virat Kohli When It Comes To Impact In ODI Cricket: Gautam Gambhir

Deep Dasgupta points out the one concern he has with regards to Virat Kohli’s future

Kohli, who will turn 32 this November, is an extremely intense character, someone who believes in giving 120 percent in everything. And, we have seen in the past that people who are mentally driven and intense, tend to drain out pretty quickly. And, this remains Dasgupta’s only concern regarding Virat Kohli’s future.

“My only issue or the thing I am concerned about is, can he be fresh, mentally. What I have noticed over the years is that people who are so intense, they tend to kind of burn out a little early or be fatigued mentally. It might not be physically but mentally,” opined the former wicketkeeper.

Whether Virat Kohli continues playing till the age of 40, no one knows. But one thing is for sure that till the time he plays, he will continue to enthrall the folklore with his passion, intensity and of-course his insatiable hunger for runs.

Also Read: Mohammad Yousuf Snubs Virat Kohli As He Names Best White-Ball Captain In World