India’s Virat Kohli celebrates his century (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool) Virat Kohli silenced every question about his form and fitness with a brilliant 135 in India’s opening ODI against South Africa in Ranchi. Although he now features in just one international format, the veteran batsman looked commanding, hitting 11 fours and seven sixes in an impressive innings. After the match, former South African fast bowler Dale Steyn offered an insight into how Kohli maintains such elite fitness. Steyn revealed that he bumped into Kohli the previous evening and decided to ask him directly about his routine.
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“I actually met him last night at dinner,” Steyn said on Star Sports. “I asked him, ‘What do you do now that you only play one format?’ and he said to me, ‘I live in London now’.” Steyn explained that Kohli trains at top-of-the-line facilities in London and follows a first-class program to stay in top form. “He has a fantastic background at Lord’s and at Surrey and trains regularly there. He also works with a personal trainer,” said Steyn. “He’s always ready, always in elite physical condition, and mentally he’s incredibly strong.” The legendary pacer praised Kohli’s professionalism and said that the Indian star is in complete control of his preparation and approach. “He knows his game inside out. When he joins the team, he fully invests and that’s why we see performances like this. That’s what true professionals do,” added Steyn. Meanwhile, Kohli has addressed the ongoing chatter that the BCCI wants him to participate in more domestic cricket. The former captain made it clear that he does not believe in excessive preparation. “I never relied on too much preparation,” Kohli said during the post-match presentation. “My game has always been more mental. Physically, I train very hard, and as long as my fitness is at the level I want it to be, I just visualize the batting well. That’s enough for me.” Kohli’s authoritative knock, combined with his clear preparation, underlined again why he remains one of India’s most reliable performers.
