{"id":11105,"date":"2026-05-20T10:12:37","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T10:12:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/1win.za.com\/ipl\/kohli-blasts-fitness-gap-says-hockey-standards-far-exceed-pro-cricketers"},"modified":"2026-05-20T10:12:37","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T10:12:37","slug":"kohli-blasts-fitness-gap-says-hockey-standards-far-exceed-pro-cricketers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/1win.za.com\/ipl\/kohli-blasts-fitness-gap-says-hockey-standards-far-exceed-pro-cricketers","title":{"rendered":"Kohli Blasts Fitness Gap, Says Hockey Standards Far Exceed Pro Cricketers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Virat Kohli has drawn attention to the fitness demands of Indian hockey, suggesting that professional cricketers do not come close to the physical benchmarks set in the sport. The comments, made during a recent RCB Innovation Lab event, have been welcomed by hockey players and officials who say the praise highlights how demanding hockey can be at the highest level.<\/p>\n<h2>Key takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Kohli argued that fitness in sport should be treated as a basic requirement, not something treated as a special achievement.<\/li>\n<li>He claimed Indian hockey players are working at a markedly higher fitness level than cricketers, putting the gap at under 15% by his estimate.<\/li>\n<li>The Royal Challengers Bengaluru batter made his remarks at the RCB Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit on Tuesday.<\/li>\n<li>Indian men\u2019s hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh said he recently spoke with Kohli about hockey fitness benchmarks, including the yo-yo test.<\/li>\n<li>Harmanpreet added that Kohli was surprised to hear that hockey goalkeepers score above 20 on the yo-yo test.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Kohli calls fitness a \u201cjob requirement\u201d<\/h2>\n<p>Speaking at the third edition of the RCB Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit on Tuesday, Kohli reflected on what it takes to perform consistently in elite sport. He said fitness should not be viewed as an unusual or extraordinary trait, but instead as the standard expectation that professional athletes must meet.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople sometimes treat fitness like it\u2019s something exceptional, but for me it\u2019s simply part of the role,\u201d Kohli said. \u201cIt needs to be the norm\u2014something you expect, not something you cheer as if it\u2019s rare.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kohli also pointed out that cricket\u2019s massive popularity in India can cause other sports to be overlooked, even when they demand demanding physical capabilities. In his view, hockey is one such sport where athletic requirements are especially intense.<\/p>\n<h2>Comparison with hockey and Harmanpreet\u2019s response<\/h2>\n<p>Making a direct comparison between the two games, Kohli said Indian hockey players operate far beyond what he believes cricketers typically reach in terms of physical fitness. He stressed that hockey\u2019s pace and physical intensity require a different kind of preparation and in-game effort.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo be blunt, we\u2019re not even 15% of the fitness level of an Indian hockey player,\u201d Kohli remarked. \u201cIf hockey players saw our training routines, they\u2019d probably laugh\u2014because their sport asks for far more physically.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>After Kohli\u2019s comments surfaced, Harmanpreet Singh\u2014captain of the Indian men\u2019s hockey team\u2014shared details of a conversation he had with the cricket superstar earlier. Harmanpreet said they spoke about training standards and the metrics used to gauge fitness in hockey.<\/p>\n<p>Harmanpreet explained that Kohli was keen to understand hockey\u2019s fitness benchmarks. \u201cWe had a great discussion about fitness at an event not too long ago. He told me hockey is such a fast sport and he wanted to know our fitness standards,\u201d Harmanpreet said.<\/p>\n<p>He further revealed that they discussed the yo-yo test, and when Harmanpreet told him that even hockey goalkeepers manage scores above 20, Kohli reacted with genuine surprise. \u201cWhen I told him that even our goalkeepers score above 20, he was genuinely surprised,\u201d Harmanpreet added.<\/p>\n<p>Harmanpreet said the exchange was productive and helped underline why hockey is viewed as one of the most physically demanding sports. \u201cWe had a wonderful discussion and shared experiences about training and fitness,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m thankful that someone like Virat Kohli brought attention to the fitness standards of hockey players. Ours is one of the fastest and most physically demanding sports in the world, and recognition like this means a lot to the hockey community.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Virat Kohli has drawn attention to the fitness demands of Indian hockey, suggesting that professional cricketers do not come close to the physical benchmarks set&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":11104,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Virat Kohli on Fitness Gap: Hockey vs Pro Cricketers","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Virat Kohli sparks debate on fitness standards, claiming hockey demands exceed pro cricket levels\u2014fans and players react after his bold RCB remarks.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11105","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized 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