IPL 2022: Virat Kohli is the 'Cristiano Ronaldo of cricket,' says Punjab Kings batsman
Virat Kohli; Bhanuka Rajapaksa
Punjab Kings (PBKS) batsman Bhanuka Rajapaksa has called Virat Kohli the "Cristiano Ronaldo of cricket".
Having missed several international opportunities due to fitness issues, Sri Lanka's Bhanuka Rajapaksa is looking forward to taking some fitness lessons from Kohli in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022.
PBKS bought Rajapaksa at the IPL 2022 mega auction. In PBKS' opening game of the underway tournament, the Sri Lankan batsman scored a vital 43 off 22 balls to help his side win the game against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Chasing 206 at DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai, PBKS finished the game with an over and five wickets to spare.
Rajapaksa, who came out to bat one-down struck four sixes and two fours during his knock.
Kohli, as pointed out by Rajapaksa, is known for inducing a fitness revolution in the Indian cricket team. Due to his strict fitness regime, the 33-year-old is able to play all three formats regularly for India for close to a decade now.
"IPL is the best league in the world and with every teammate of yours you get to learn a lot about the game, so I am loving picking the brains of Shikhar Dhawan. I get along very well with Mayank Agarwal as we played U-19 together," Rajapaksa told PTI.
"Outside of the team, Virat Kohli is always someone I could speak to and get some advice on fitness. He's at another different level when it comes to fitness. To me, he is the Cristiano Ronaldo of cricket for sure. With the work he puts in, you can obviously see the results. You can compare him to anyone when it comes to fitness or even skills-wise. He plays so hard and you can learn a lot by talking to him," the Sri Lanka player added further.
The PBKS batter said that he hits the gym whenever he gets the chance and believes that fitness plays a key role in the lives of professional cricketers.
"As a player, you need your fitness but it could be different from person to person. For me, of course, skill comes first and then fitness. But if you are not fit enough, you definitely can't perform. I'm actually working hard on my fitness. Whenever I get a free day I hit the gym early in the morning," the PBKS batter said.
PBKS next play against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Friday (April 1) in IPL 2022 at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.