What Was Virat Kohli's Turning Point? From No Diet Plans To Becoming A Test Cricket Legend

On the field or off it, one thing everyone agrees on -- Virat Kohli’s fitness is second to none. At 36, the Indian run machine prowls the field like a sharp, agile hawk. But there was a time when things were very different. Kohli had no clue about diet plans, snacked on toffees, sweets and struggled to get runs on the board. It was the time of beginning that changed and turned out to be of the most inspiring comebacks in cricket history.

Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket on Monday (May 12) with immediate effect.

He made his Test debut in June 2011 against the West Indies at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica. It wasn’t a dream start -- he managed just 4 runs in the first innings and 15 in the second. Still, India went on to win the match by 63 runs.

"I was in Bad Shape until 2012", said Virat Kohli in one of his conversations with Aamir Khan and Aparshakti Khurana back in 2018.

After his sensational 183-run knock against Pakistan in the 2012 Asia Cup, many expected Virat Kohli to dominate the Indian Premier League (IPL) that followed. But when the expectations didn't meet reality, it took a toll on him mentally.

"After the Australia tour in 2012, we came back and went to Bangladesh for the Asia Cup. In a match with Pakistan, I got my highest ODI score of 183. That phase went well. So, I felt that in the IIPL season, I had to dominate because I did well in international cricket. I went. But this is a sport. It is not what you expect will happen. I had a string of failures. I couldn’t make runs in the first 6-7 matches. I hardly reached double figures. I got so mentally disturbed,” he said.

And the reason the stars just weren’t aligning back then? Fitness — the very thing he's celebrated for today. The man who now inspires millions to stay in shape once had no clue about diet or training. “I had no clue how to do training. I thought practice was enough. Apart from that, I didn’t know what to do in the gym, how much to run, body weight, or fat percentage. Nothing,” he had admitted.

"I used to eat sweets…I used to finish two packets of 40 toffees each that were available in the hotel room’s mini bar in a week. I had no pattern of eating. I had no idea about food and drinks. I got over the IPL with much difficulty. I went home,” he added.

“I had no pattern of eating. I had no idea about food and drinks. I got over the IPL with much difficulty. I went home,” he added, underlining the toll that poor habits had taken on his game and mindset.

But, things had to change. And, it did change.

Virat Kohli's Turning Point

One day, he came out of the shower and looked in the mirror and said to himself, “How can a person look like this, being an international cricketer? That was the day. Turning point.”

From the very next day, "everything changed. My total diet plan changed. I used to work out in the gym for two hours daily. I changed my diet."

"It wasn’t easy initially", he said. But Virat Kohli soon became the most sought-after star for Royal Challengers Bengaluru and IPL, leading the team to the final in 2016 and single-handedly carrying its legacy ever since. To date, he has amassed 8,509 runs in the Indian Premier League and smashed 8 centuries -- the most by any player.