It is difficult not to be inspired by Virat Kohli, says former India support staff Shankar Basu
India's former strength and conditioning coach Shankar Basu heaped praise on the dedication displayed by Virat Kohli who served as an inspiration to the rest of the team. Basu further used the example of Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and Kedar Jadhav to highlight the squad's progress in the last four years.
The Indian cricket team endured a heartbreaking exit from this year's ICC World Cup in England as they lost to New Zealand in the semi-finals. The team were touted as favorites to lift the trophy but failed to live up to the expectations as Virat Kohli & Co. headed back home. Former India strength and conditioning coach - Shankar Basu - whose contract ended after the World Cup - singled out the influence that Virat Kohli had on the rest of the Indian squad ever since he began his tenure in 2015.
"When I started it was a challenge to transform the culture, now 90 per cent of the team trains very professionally. There will always be one or two in every team who require the extra push. When you see someone like him, it is difficult not to be inspired. His cheat days come once in a blue moon, I have not seen him take one in the last two years.
"I am telling you that fellow is a freak. There will be months together he would go on and I would force him to take rest. It is very simple. You hit one and then you hit two. In a team if the captain sets the example everyone starts following, it is tough otherwise. And you cannot paint everyone with the same brush.
"They need to buy in, unless they buy in there is no way you can be effective as a coach. When they started seeing the change, they all started embracing it. Now we have come to a stage, even if they want to leave it, they won't be able to. it is ingrained in their system," Basu told PTI sources in a recent interview.
In addition to Kohli, Basu used the examples of pacer Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and all-rounder Kedar Jadhav to gauge the progress of fitness levels within the Indian national team in the last four years.
"It is not only Virat, Bumrah, DK, Rahul, Ishant, Shubman, everybody has bought into it now. But I really enjoyed working with Bumrah and Shami, fast bowlers clocking 145kmph is very heartening to see and you have another whole lot clocking 140 plus. It can't happen overnight.
"Bhuvneshwar bowls at 140 kmph consistently, when I came in he was bowling at around 128 kmph. When you talk about spinners, with improved fitness, Ashwin could bowl 95 overs in a match," Basu added.
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