Indian batting star Virat Kohli has earned another feather in his cap, this time for his fitness. South African-born cricket coach Paddy Upton, who specialises in mental coaching for professional athletes, lauded Kohli for his fitness.
Popularly known as Paddy Upton, Patrick Anthony Howard Upton claimed that Virat Kohli is the only cricketer who could survive a training session with the Indian hockey team.
Considering the hockey boys are some of the fittest athletes around, this is a huge compliment for Virat Kohli.
In a conversation with India Today, Upton said, “You can’t even compare the two teams. I wouldn’t even begin to compare them. It’s just a completely different sport. What I’d love to do is bring the Indian cricket team to come and do a half training session with the hockey team, and I think you’ll see the cricket team will all be lying on the floor. The only person who will last more than half a training session would be Virat Kohli, I think.”
The applause by Upton could be high praise for Kohli, who has built his game on elite fitness levels and transformed himself into one of the sharpest fielders and one of the consistent batters of his generation.
‘Hockey demands relentless running and stamina’
According to Upton, hockey demands relentless running and stamina, unlike Cricket which is often a stop-start sport.
Putting into perspective just how grueling hockey fitness is, Upton said, as quoted by India Today, “These guys are 18 Virat Kohli’s from a fitness perspective, where in the cricket team there’s only 1 Virat Kohli from a fitness perspective.”
Virat Kohli has long been considered the epitome of fitness due to his unmatched discipline and the sheer intensity of his training sessions. For years, he has been the backbone of Indian cricket team.