Dinesh Karthik on the Evolution of India's Batting Maestro

Without a question, Virat Kohli is among the fittest cricket players in the world because to his rigorous workout regimen, strong work ethic, and unwavering desire to avoid junk food. Every time he steps onto the field, his superior fitness levels are on display, whether he is running a fast single, converting one into two, or turning two into three, preventing significant runs on the field, making jaw-dropping catches, or playing extended innings.

He wasn't always as picky about his physical health, either. Dinesh Karthik, a member of India's national cricket team, brought this up in a conversation with renowned sportscaster Harsha Bhogle for Cricbuzz. Karthik was quick to point out, however, how Kohli exercised self-control and made significant sacrifices to develop into the player and role model he is now.

"Discipline is priority one and the first term I'll use. Second, working out doesn't only include going to the gym or jogging. That is a way of life. Thus, what you eat is just as crucial as how much you exercise and run, and Virat Kohli excels in this area. Like all of us, he was an avid eater who loved sweets and fatty meals "Karthik said.

"But he placed a tremendous cut on all of that so that he can become the cricketer he wants to be and that's the sacrifice you need to make. Look at the wider picture and decide if you need to scale down on some of the activities you are doing now if that is where you want to be in five to ten years. You can see the outcomes of his choice and the choices he made in that regard "the batsman-wicketkeeper said.

Karthik further stated how the former Indian skipper never relaxed when it came to his exercise and eating routine, even in trying circumstances or when he was subject to criticism.

"That is a terrific example of not giving up since he persistently continued to workout and eat healthily even through his rough patches when things weren't going his way. Thus, there are several times during that when his mind tells him to be pleased and perform something that he previously enjoyed. Yet, he has given up on that and made sacrifices in the hopes that it may one day be useful. On days like this, when he is batting 130 or 140, he must take that fast single "Karthik said.

In the past, Kohli has admitted to himself that he wasn't always too rigorous about his nutrition and exercise. Then-Indian captain Virat Kohli reflected on his path from being a gourmand and a "chubby" teenager with a "terrible attitude" to a star with exceptional athleticism in an interview with former England captain Michael Vaughan for The Telegraph in 2016.

"My training was terrible, I ate so poorly, I was up till late, and I was having a drink or two on a daily basis," stated Kohli. That was a terrible attitude. I weighed between 11 and 12 kg more than I do today, and I was really overweight. The next morning, I made all kinds of changes, from my diet to my exercise routine. Every day, I spent an hour and a half at the gym. Working really hard, avoiding all gluten and wheat products, as well as cold beverages and sweets. That was hard. During the first two months, I often felt so hungry at night that I wanted to devour the bed linen. I had a taste bud ache. I had a yearning for some tasty meal. But then I saw the outcomes."

With the hundreds off his bat that the world had become used to evaporating, Kohli has recently had to deal with a form slump. If he didn't get one against Afghanistan in September of last year, breaking an almost three-year wait, he wouldn't be able to score another international century until November of 2019. After the century in Dubai, he quickly scored three hundreds in ODIs and a Test against Australia in the just finished Border-Gavaskar Trophy.