Virat Kohli's work ethics are remarkable: Cheteshwar Pujara

Indian captain Virat Kohli has gone past Argentina’s footballer Lionel Messi in the Forbes list of top 10 most valuable athletes in 2017. He is at the seventh spot but all these feats haven’t been a cakewalk. Kohli is one of the most disciplined cricketers and arguably the fittest among the current crop of players. He has given up on a laid back, easy going life and worked hard on his game and therefore a major part of fitness.

Indian Test batsman Cheteshwar Pujara, who is known for his stability at the crease and appetite of scoring big runs heaped praise on his skipper. He said that Kohli’s work ethics is ‘remarkable’ and an example for youngsters. Many in the Indian dressing room and far away in other countries admire the way Kohli goes about his daily chores.

Virat leads from the front: Pujara

“Virat is someone who leads from the front,” Pujara told NDTV. “His work ethics are really remarkable. The youngsters learn from him. Not just in India, the players across the world try to learn from his success mantra.”

Pujara also stressed on the fitness part and said that it has played a huge role in his professional career. “Fitness is very important nowadays. I have been training for one-and-a-half years, and it has helped me in becoming a better player. I recover better (from match fatigue).

“The game is moving forward. All the guys in the team are aware of their fitness and want to improve. If you keep working hard on your fitness, your score gets better,” Pujara said.

When quizzed on the difference in the style of captaincy between MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli, Pujara played with a straight bat and said, “Both captains wanted the Indian team to win. I have enjoyed playing under MS Dhoni and since Virat has taken over, I have to enjoy my cricket with him too.”