Kohli has never been to NCA for fitness issues: Rohit lauds star batter’s work ethic

PTI, Jan 28, 2024, 6:57 PM IST

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Virat Kohli has hardly ever set foot at the Bengaluru-based National Cricket Academy for any fitness-related rehabilitation work, said Indian skipper Rohit Sharma, who wants aspiring cricketers to follow the ace batter’s exemplary work-ethic.

”Virat Kohli has never been to NCA in his entire career. I would say that all the younger players should look up to the passion that he has,” Rohit told former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik on JioCinema.

”Leave alone how he plays the cover drive, flick, cut but first things first you have to understand what is the quality of the players that makes him where he is today.” Kohli has opted out of the first two Tests of the ongoing five-match series against England for ”personal reasons”.

”I have watched Kohli enough. He can easily be satisfied with what he has achieved. He can say that I will take it easy in these 2-3 series, I will come later, but he is always there for the team,” said Rohit.

Staying hungry

The Indian skipper further emphasised the invaluable quality of hunger and the lack of complacency in Kohli’s mindset, expressing that such attributes cannot be imparted through teaching.

He stressed the need for aspiring cricketers to learn this internal drive by observing others.

”That mindset of being hungry and not complacent cannot be taught. You have to learn that from by looking at the others. It has to come from within. I cannot teach you that,” Rohit added.

”That is the first thing that I would say rather than looking at Virat Kohli or others technically. You have to stay hungry all the time, bring the passion and the pride to everything, being out there in the sun, playing for the team and getting the job done. This is what I want to the guys to have first,” the Indian skipper concluded