Rohit Sharma, India ODI, and Test captain shared his fitness mantra while talking about his 17-year ongoing international career. He stated that fitness is more about controlling one's mind than about physical appearance, especially for cricket players.
The India skipper noted that his longevity in the sport indicates his ability to be prepared for the demands and trials of cricket. Rohit, 38, highlighted that a player must be prepared to contribute to the team's success, which includes fitness, recovery, and food.
Rohit Sharma made his international debut in 2007 and has competed in all three formats till June 2024. After leading India to victory in the World Cup in Barbados on June 29, the superstar batsman announced his retirement from T20I cricket. He continues to lead India in ODI and Test cricket and is anticipated to play 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.
"Everybody 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. There are challenges; we have to understand them and work toward getting ourselves ready and delivering," he added.
Rohit has had his fair share of injuries in recent years but has avoided lengthy layoffs. He feels that extraordinary on-field injuries must be the result of bad luck.
"It's a very tough situation (dealing with injuries). It slows you down in many ways. You have to work within the parameters set by your trainers and physios. You work hard to get back to normal, but some injuries are unavoidable. Some happen quite freakishly while you're on the ground. For example, you might pull a calf muscle, strain your hamstring, or twist your knee while jogging. I've seen many friends and colleagues go through this. Luck plays a role too.
Injuries can happen even to the fittest of players. If a player gets injured, it doesn't mean they aren't fit. It just means they're unlucky that it happened to them. That's how it is. I don't know all the science behind it, but having gone through many injuries, I know you have to be a bit unlucky to get injured," he added.
Rohit Sharma has been earmarked to captain India in the Champions Trophy 2025 and the WTC final next year.
