Star India pacer Ishant Sharma has admitted that during his initial cricketing days, he felt that everyone had a certain ‘vibe’ and were legends, but as he gained experience, the only person whom he saw fitting the bill was ace India batter Virat Kohli, his long-time Delhi teammate.
As per Ishant, Kohli had an unmatched focus, never permitting anything off the field to impact his performance.
On the Raj Shamani podcast, Ishant started by discussing the cricketers who had a ‘legendary aura’ during his career. Although he came across multiple big names early on, it was Kohli who stood out.
“See, when I first started playing, I used to feel everyone had that vibe, everyone was a legend. Later on, when I played, I felt that with just one person, Virat
Kohli,” Ishant said.
“His attitude was like that: I am here, I will get the job done. Nothing outside has affected his game. Whatever is happening outside, he knows that when he is on the field, he will score runs come what may,” Ishant said.
“He (Kohli) has always been like that. Even if he has come back at 2 AM or 3 AM or batted overnight, the next day he would go out and score,” Ishant added.
The star Indian pacer lauded Kohli’s grasp of fitness and how it prolonged his career. His peak fitness not only boosted his batting but made him an outstanding fielder as well, providing him with a competitive advantage over his opponents.
“I think he understood that if he wanted to play, he had to get fit. He is aware that fitness allows him to play long, keeps his reflexes fast and improves fielding. That change came about in 2011 after the World Cup and the IPL,” Ishant said.
Beyond fitness, the star Indian pacer admired Kohli’s mental resilience. Nothing on or off the field, be it team setbacks, media scrutiny, or personal challenges, ever seemed to shake his focus.
