'No doubt he is a role model!': VVS Laxman opens up on Virat Kohli's elite fitness standards & his impact on youngsters at CoE
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'No doubt he is a role model!': VVS Laxman opens up on Virat Kohli's elite fitness standards & his impact on youngsters at CoE originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- VVS Laxman praises India star Virat Kohli's professionalism and calls him a role model.
- Kohli's diet is 90% steamed, boiled, fully plant-based now.
- Training focuses on mobility, functional movement over raw strength.
VVS Laxman lauds 'exemplary professional' Virat Kohli: How his fitness standards inspire CoE youngsters
VVS Laxman, who heads the BCCI's Centre of Excellence, held up Virat Kohli as the kind of "exemplary professional" every young cricketer coming through the CoE looks upto, and insisted that his self-driven discipline is proof of what's possible with the right mindset.
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He noted that Kohli holds himself to an incredibly high bar, and more importantly, actually chases that standard every single time he steps onto the field, no matter the opponent.
Laxman added that this relentless pursuit of excellence is precisely why Kohli has become such a strong role model, with numerous young players and teammates actively looking to follow his example.
"I think there is no doubt that Virat is an exemplary professional," he told reporters.
"And the standards he sets for himself are something which he tries and goes out each and every time he plays for whichever team to meet those standards.
"And that's why he is a great role model. And I think a lot of youngsters or players want to emulate him. And that's been one of the high points (of his CoE tenure)."
Kohli's transformation into one of cricket's fittest athletes has roots tracing back to a specific moment during India's 2011 tour of Australia.
Sachin Tendulkar recounted the story back in 2022, and recalled how a younger Kohli frequented a Thai restaurant in Canberra during that tour. One evening, following an especially heavy meal, Kohli turned to Tendulkar while walking back to the hotel and admitted he'd had enough, declaring it was time to seriously focus on his fitness.
“Paaji, bahut ho gaya, ab fitness par dhyan dena hai (Enough is enough. I need to start taking my fitness seriously)," Tendulkar had shared in a special video posted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
“I have to say that you have left no stone unturned. You have been a terrific role model. Cricketing numbers are a different story altogether. That particular evening, I remember you said that you have achieved your goal. It’s been fantastic to watch you over the years."
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How Kohli's diet & gym routine fuels his physical transformation
Kohli has often credited nutrition as the foundation of his physical transformation, telling Star Sports that while gym work demands hard effort, food presents a different kind of challenge entirely, one tied closely to personal cravings and mental discipline.
He explained that he's reached a point where he can eat the same meal three times a day for six months straight without any issue.
Around 90 per cent of his diet now consists of steamed or boiled food, seasoned simply with salt, pepper and lime, avoiding masala altogether. In recent years, Kohli has also transitioned to a fully plant-based diet, replacing grilled chicken and red meat with lentils, quinoa, vegetables and protein shakes.
Inside the gym, Kohli's sessions revolve around fast, explosive movement like sprints, HIIT drills, plyometric jumps, and strength routines built specifically around what batting and fielding actually demand from his body.
But the real difference isn't how hard he trains; it's the thinking behind it. Before the T20 World Cup 2022, he put up an Instagram clip of a lower-body workout with just three words attached: "Mobility is key." That line summed up his belief that staying flexible and moving well count for just as much as brute strength.
Even his mornings reflect that same discipline. Former cricketer Sandeep Patil once shared a story about Kohli doing yoga at 5 AM, hitting the gym not once but twice afterwards, and then still going out and smashing a double hundred that same day.
Why Kohli's example matters beyond the record books
What makes Laxman's comments stand out is the timing of it; right when Indian cricket is grappling with a wave of injuries before the Sri Lanka Test series.
Kohli's journey isn't really about raw talent; it's about staying consistent for well over a decade, something that's become harder to find in a sport now stretched thin across formats and back-to-back tournaments.
He's also never pretended fitness came easy to him, openly talking about wrestling with food cravings rather than making it sound effortless, and that honesty is probably why so many young players find his story easier to relate to.
With the BCCI's sports science setup currently under the microscope over how it's handling player injuries, Kohli's approach quietly makes the point that no amount of institutional backing replaces personal discipline and playing the long game with your own body.
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