'Every young cricketer wants to be fit...': Virender Sehwag lauds Virat Kohli for leading fitness revolution in Indian cricket

Former India opener Virender Sehwag lavished praise on batting great Virat Kohli for starting the trend of fitness in the Indian dressing room. Sehwag, who shared the dressing room with young Kohli during the ODI World Cup 2011, labelled the star batter as the fittest cricketer of this era. He also credited him for bringing a “fitness revolution” not just in Indian cricket but in world cricket as well.

Virat Kohli significantly transformed Indian cricket by revolutionising the fitness culture during his captaincy, making it a non-negotiable aspect of team selection and performance through mandatory fitness tests like the Yo-Yo test.

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"Hats off to Virat Kohli for starting the trend of fitness in World Cricket. He brings the fitness culture to Indian cricket. He's the fittest cricketer of this era. Now, because of Virat Kohli, every young cricketer wants to be fit," Sehwag said in life Savers show.

Sehwag admitted that fitness wasn’t always the top priority during his playing days. However, he said Virat Kohli made it “cool” for the players to be strict about their bodies.

Kohli is currently spending time with his family. His last international outing came in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, where unbeaten India defeated New Zealand in the final to win their first ICC ODI title in 12 years.

Kohli will now be seen featuring in the upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia, which will start from October 19.