Kohli is now among the fittest cricketers in the world.
Indian skipper Virat Kohli has taken fitness on another level. His dedication inspired his teammates and now we see the difference in the field. Kohli got so serious about fitness that he has now turned into a vegan.
Only a few people know India's squash star Dipika Pallikal is the inspiration behind Kohli's fitness regime. The ex-India trainer Shankar Basu revealed Kohli saw Dipika training in 2014 for the first time. That's what caught his eyes and he got motivated.
"The first two-three years, we used to train only in the summer during IPL. Actually, he got inspired after seeing Dipika Pallikal (squash player) train. He was astonished to learn about the demands of an individual sport. Then he asked 'why can't I do the same'," Basu, who is the trainer of Royal Challengers Bangalore, told reporters on the occasion of the 10-year anniversary of his Primal Patterns, a holistic fitness studio and knowledge center.
Dipika, who is married to cricketer Dinesh Karthik, was present at the event with her husband.
Basu believes Kohli has still a lot more to achieve in terms of fitness. "I think he can do a little more exploring," he said. "As Kohli knows, the sky is the limit in fitness. I always used to tell him that 'Usain Bolt and Novak Djokovic should be your idols and you have miles to go'. He is constantly looking for that extra edge; something extra to enhance his performance," he added.
Basu said it took him time to earn Kohli's trust. "You have to build a relationship with the player first. You can't jump the gun and force things on him. It's like raising children. You should be ready to answer their questions. And you have to give them the right answers. Virat would ask a hundred questions before getting convinced, but once he did, he would readily go to the ends of the earth. It's difficult to get a student like him," he said.
(With The Times of India Inputs)