VVS Laxman Names The Benchmark Player In Indian Cricket Team's Fitness

Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, VVS Laxman, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill (Source: AFP)In sports, along with skill and temperament, one thing that is always talked about is fitness. In cricket, one player who is the epitome of fitness, discipline and workload management is Virat Kohli. VVS Laxman, who has worked closely with Indian cricketers, recently mentioned Kohli’s fitness influence on the next generation.Fitness is part of modern cricket, especially with players expected to handle three formats, long tours, and demanding schedules. It is important to note that the topic of fitness and discussion in cricket is all around the news. Several players are at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru for rehabilitation and recovery.Also Read: BCCI Makes India Players Sweat! Stricter Fitness Tests To Be Mandated After England DebacleVVS Laxman Makes Massive Comment On Virat Kohli’s FitnessFormer India cricketer and Head of Cricket at CoE, VVS Laxman, has praised Virat Kohli for his fitness, professionalism and commitment to the game. Laxman said Kohli has set very high standards for himself, making him a role model for young cricketers.Laxman believes that many youngsters look up to Kohli and want to follow his approach to fitness and cricket."A lot of youngsters want to emulate Virat Kohli. The benchmarks he set are the benchmarks of the best," VVS Laxman stated.How Does Virat Kohli Maintain His Fitness?Virat Kohli's fitness journey was not always the same as it is today. He has previously spoken about changing his lifestyle after realising that his body needed to improve if he wanted to perform consistently at the international level.He changed his eating habits, increased his gym work and maintained a much more structured routine. Kohli has recalled that he used to train for long periods and completely changed the way he approached food and exercise.Virat’s fitness philosophy is built around consistency, discipline, and routine, even when it is difficult.Can Shubman Gill Reach Virat Kohli's Fitness Standard?Shubman Gill is now one of the most important players for India since he has been appointed as captain in the Test and ODI formats. However, unlike Kohli, who has a reputation for fitness, Gill has recently faced several injury interruptions.Gill has recently faced several injuries, such as neck stiffness and spasm, and earlier dealt with a thumb problem during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024.Recently, preparing for the India-Sri Lanka Test series 2026, Gill suffered an impact injury to his right ring finger during a training session. However, one fact that cannot be denied is that Gill does not lack fitness or commitment. Injuries can happen to any professional cricketer, particularly during a packed international schedule. Currently, nearly 13 Indian cricketers are nursing injuries that include Jasprit Bumrah (knee swelling), B Sai Sudharsan (left big toe injury), Nitish Kumar Reddy (hamstring), Hardik Pandya (quadriceps), Harshit Rana (hamstring), Washington Sundar (quadriceps), Akash Deep (lower back stress fracture), Varun Chakravarthy (hamstring) and Prince Yadav (hamstring).Also Read: Harshit Rana's Latest Injury Setback Contradicts VVS Laxman's 'GPS' Statement