Virat Kohli continues to go from strength to strength with his batting abilities and it’s no real surprise he credits his fitness as one of the key factors.
It’s a busy period for the Indian captain with the on-going IPL, before he flies out to England next month for a county stint with Surrey ahead of the national team’s tour against Joe Root’s side this summer.
Speaking to The Times of India, the ace batsman spoke on why he would still take time to exercise even if he wasn’t a sportsman, and why kids must divide time between social medial, school, exercise and video games.
He also spoke of his memories of joining the Indian dressing room for the first time.
Importance of fitness:
“It had to do with playing at a certain level in professional sport. I realised that when I started getting fitter, I started thinking better. I had more clarity, focus and determination. I started feeling that inside me as soon as I changed my physical regime. Getting fitter makes you confident overall. It makes you feel good about yourself. You need to feel good to have good thoughts.”
Think you can run faster than me? 🤔 Here’s my fastest time for 3 runs. Pad up and send a video of your fastest 3 runs mentioning #NewLevels and @PUMACricket . @mandeeps12 let’s see if you can beat 8.90 sec mundeya! 😏 pic.twitter.com/UOdl64NZs6
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) April 28, 2018
His thoughts on entering the Indian dressing room for the first time:
“I clearly remember sitting with my mum and watching the news on the day of the selection meeting. My name just flashed on the TV but I thought they might just be spreading a rumour. Five minutes later, I got a call from the board. I got goosebumps. I was shaking.
“I clearly remember walking into the team meeting. I was asked to give a speech in the team room. It was nerve-wracking for me with so many great Indian players there. They were looking at me. Which we now do to younger guys to intimidate them, make them nervous [smiles]. These are my first memories.”
The impact of technology for kids
“Even if I was not playing professional cricket, I can’t imagine myself not doing any physical activity at all. The survey conducted [by sportswear manufacturer PUMA] 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. 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.
“[Kids need to] prioritise. Have a routine: when you need to do physical work, when you need to be on social media, when you need to play video games, and when you need to do your homework.”
