It is no secret that India’s ace batsman Virat Kohli is a fitness freak. With a strict regimen of careful diet and regular gym workouts, he has maintained his weight at a trim 69 kilos for many years. Even now at the age of 34, his athletic ability can match that of players who are ten years younger to him.
But what is the mantra that he follows to maintain himself at such a high level of physical and mental fitness?
It is a matter of willpower and determination. Behind his easy going attitude and charming smile is strength of character that is made of iron. It may come as a surprise to his fans to know that he is a great foodie and loves all the foods that are forbidden to sportsmen. So for him to stick to a diet is even more difficult than for a person who is ambivalent about food.
When it comes to exercise he doesn’t miss a single day. Stretching, jogging and cardio workouts form the starting point of a gruelling routine. His weight training involves squats, deadlifts and bench press. He also does a lot of bodyweight exercises such as sit ups, pushups and planks.
Virat’s favourite foods earlier
Earlier his favourite foods were Chhole Bhature, Rajma Chawal, Butter chicken and so on. He was a heavy consumer of deep fried mutton and chicken items. He was born and brought up in Delhi and during his growing years he developed a love for Punjabi food such as Aloo Paratha and Malai Lassi. Virat and his elder brother Vikas used to binge on food. So now it is a daily struggle for him to stay away from these foods.
He depends only on vegetarian foods and that too mainly salads. Because even veg food, if fried or cooked in oily gravy, can be very unhealthy.
However, his choice of a strict vegetarian diet is surprising because most sportsmen prefer a blend of non vegetarian and vegetarian foods. For example Neeraj Chopra who was a vegetarian to start with, later switched to a mix of veg and non-veg foods. Neeraj felt that a combination of these foods would give him more energy and stamina. In his case it is working.
Virat’s switch to vegetarian food
But in the case of Virat Kohli it has been the opposite. Virat credits his fitness to his choice of vegetarian foods. All his protein intake comes from plant based proteins and not animal proteins. Moreover, he depends mainly on steamed foods which have no oil in them. But on rare occasions he goes in for items cooked in the best quality olive oil.
A few years ago, with an eye on the future, Virat opened a chain of restaurants named One8 Commune. The name is because of his jersey number which is 18. It was but natural that Virat would go into the food business since he loved it. Some of his friends were already in this line and they provided the necessary guidance.
The menu in his restaurants have a page called Virat’s Favourite and the dishes listed there are Superfood Salad, Mushroom Googly, Thai Buddha Bowl, Vegan Power Bowl and others.
Traveling is another passion
Another of Virat’s passions is travelling and he has travelled to many destinations around the world with his actress wife Anushka Sharma. Traveling has broadened Virat’s knowledge of different cultures and also enabled him to taste the foods of many different countries.
After a trip to Japan he fell in love with Japanese food. Now Virat himself has entered the restaurant business. If he shows the same discipline and zeal in this occupation as he does in cricket, he is likely to be a big success in running his restaurants too.
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