Rohit Sharma’s fitness mantra: For cricketers, it is not about how you look
Rohit Sharma said he believes fitness is more about controlling one’s mind than about physical appearance, especially for cricket players. The India captain explained that his longevity in the sport reflects how he has kept himself prepared to meet the demands and challenges of cricket. Rohit, 38, emphasised that a player should be ready to contribute to the team’s success, and that preparation involves fitness, recovery, and diet.
Rohit Sharma made his international debut in 2007 and played in all three formats until June 2024. The superstar cricketer retired from T20I cricket after leading India to a World Cup triumph in Barbados on June 29. He continues to lead India in the ODI and Test formats and is expected to feature in the Indian Premier League.
“To play for 17 years and close to 500 games for India, not many cricketers globally have achieved that. There must be very few in number. To have that longevity, there has to be something about your routine, how you manage your fitness and mindset, and how you train yourself. It’s important to be ready for a game. Our job is to be 100 percent ready to perform. And then, if you look back, preparation includes fitness, recovery, and what you eat. For me to be game-ready, 100 percent and at my best, we have to manage 3–4 aspects,” Rohit said during an interaction with FITTR.
“Every body is different; every individual is different,” he added.
Since Rohit Sharma’s debut in 2007, only Virat Kohli (535) has played more international matches. Rohit has played 485 matches, scoring 19,245 runs, including 48 centuries and 106 fifties. MS Dhoni, with 463 matches, ranks third in this period.
“The demand has increased in international cricket in the last five to seven years. There have been many games, and you travel a lot. Then, you had Covid-19. Imagine sitting in a room and doing nothing, and then, within a week, you have to play.
“For me, for cricketers, fitness is not about how you look body-wise; it’s about what you can contribute to the team. It’s about whether you can be on the field for five days with full intensity. Can you play a 100-over game, the ODI format, and be at your best for all 100 overs? And then, if there’s energy left, you can play the T20 format.
“You have to train your body in a way that prepares you for all of this. For the past 8-9 years, I have been playing all three formats regularly. There is a lot of demand on your body, a lot of toll, and not much break in between. There are challenges; we have to understand them and work toward getting ourselves ready and delivering,” he added.
‘THE ONLY REASON I RETIRED FROM T20Is…’
Meanwhile, Rohit shed light on his decision to retire from T20I cricket, saying he could have ‘easily’ continued playing all three formats. He decided to step away from the shortest format to make room for the next generation of Indian cricketers.
Rohit was at his belligerent best in the T20 World Cup, scoring 257 runs—the most by an Indian—in 8 matches. Only Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored more than the India captain, with 281 runs.
“The only reason I retired from T20Is is that I have had my time. I enjoyed playing the format. I played for 17 years, did well, and then we won the World Cup. That was the best time for me to decide that it was time to move on and focus on other things. There are many other players who can do well for India. This decision was not based on anything else; I just felt it was the right time.
“I could still easily play all three formats. That’s why I want to emphasise that fitness is in your mind—how you train your mind. I believe everything is in the mind. I am a person who has a lot of self-belief because I know I can control my mind when I need to. Sometimes, it’s not easy, but most of the time, I can do that.
“If you tell your body that you are young and capable, then of course you can do it,” he added.
EVEN THE FITTEST CAN GET INJURED: ROHIT
Rohit has faced his share of injuries in the recent past but has avoided lengthy layoffs. He believes that one needs to be unfortunate to sustain freakish on-field injuries.
“It’s a very tough situation (dealing with injuries). It slows you down in many ways. You have to work within the parameters set by your trainers and physios. You work hard to get back to normal, but some injuries are unavoidable. Some happen quite freakishly while you’re on the ground. For example, you might pull a calf muscle, strain your hamstring, or twist your knee while jogging. I’ve seen many friends and colleagues go through this. Luck plays a role too.
“Injuries can happen even to the fittest of players. If a player gets injured, it doesn’t mean they aren’t fit. It just means they’re unlucky that it happened to them.
“That’s how it is. I don’t know all the science behind it, but having gone through many injuries, I know you have to be a bit unlucky to get injured,” he added.
Rohit is expected to continue leading the Indian side in ODIs at least until the Champions Trophy next year and the Test side until at least the World Championship final in 2025.
