Faf du Plessis, the captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore, believes that Virat Kohli’s unwavering dedication to fitness is the secret to his sustained success in top-tier cricket. He suggests that budding cricketers should take inspiration from this to carve out their own careers.
During his tenure as their captain, Kohli instigated a shift in the culture within the Royal Challengers dressing room, making fitness an indispensable aspect of a player’s lifestyle. “He’s remarkable, he trains intensively, and he’s extremely fit. I believe in today’s sporting age, you must be like that if you’re seeking longevity. So, he will be an excellent example,” Faf Du Plessis shared with Star Sports.
Faf Du Plessis emphasised that mere talent will not assist an emerging player in building a prolonged career in top-level sport. “The younger generation might feel they can simply come in and rely on their talent. Yes, they are talented enough. But in terms of longevity in your body to ensure you can play for as long as possible, fitness will undoubtedly play a role,” he added.
The former South African captain, himself a fitness enthusiast, mentioned that Kohli’s zeal for physical fitness was a common ground when he joined the franchise in 2022. “There are quite a few aspects where Virat and I are very similar, in the way we perceive or think about the game. Obviously, being athletic, training hard, staying fit, eating well. So, we look at a holistic approach to being a professional sportsman. I think that’s why we connected so well in my first season at RCB. We were very similar,” he expressed.
Virat Kohli really likes doing tough workouts. These workouts have a mix of strength building, heart-pumping exercises, and quick movement drills. His workout plan helps him to get stronger, last longer, and become more flexible. This helps him to keep playing his best. Under Faf Du Plessis’s leadership, the Royal Challengers reached the playoffs in 2022, while they finished sixth in the previous edition.
Varun Aaron, a former Indian and RCB fast bowler who recently announced his retirement, expressed hope that Kohli would bat in IPL 2024 in the same manner as he did in the 2016 edition. Kohli scored 973 runs in IPL 2016, topping the batting charts.
“I hope he returns to that kind of form (2016) in this IPL. The IPL is a long season and to maintain that form is to be superhuman. During that season, the way he was batting, it was surreal to watch it from the side-lines,” Aaron said.
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