Virat Kohli’s influence on Indian cricket is not limited to his records with the bat or his success as Test captain. One of his biggest contributions has been the change he brought to the team’s approach to fitness.Former India cricketer and 1983 World Cup winner Sandeep Patil recently shared a story on a podcast that shows how Kohli’s commitment to fitness made a strong impact on him and motivated the former selector to hit the gym.Patil recalled that during India’s 2016 tour of the West Indies, he went for a morning walk on a beach in Antigua with his wife. “It was pitch dark, and I noticed a shadow sitting quietly. As I went closer, it was Virat doing yoga — at five in the morning, on a match day,” he said.Kohli did not stop after yoga. He went to the gym for 45 minutes, had breakfast, and later scored a double century in the Test. “When he returned to the hotel after the day’s play, he went back to the gym again,” Patil said.Patil added that Kohli encouraged him to start working on his fitness. “Virat told me, ‘Sandeep bhai, you have a nice height and personality; you should start working out.’ So, for the first time in my life, I went to the gym. I was 60 then,” he said. The Antigua Test Patil referred to was the first of a four-match Test series between India and West Indies in 2016. India won the match by an innings and 92 runs.
