No vadapav, 800 reps each day: Rohit Sharma educated like a bodybuilder for ODI return


Rohit Sharma’s transformation has been one of many main speaking factors within the lead-up to his one-day worldwide comeback in Australia. Rohit might not have had a profitable return to worldwide cricket after an early failure within the ODI collection opener towards Australia in Perth, however the former captain, 38, has given himself the very best. likelihood to understand his dream of enjoying on till the 2027 ODI World Cup.

Rohit has shocked fairly a number of together with his lean and match lookmonths after showing obese on his return from a household vacation. A lot has been stated about Rohit’s grueling coaching periods with former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar in Mumbai as he ready for his one-day worldwide return.

Talking to JioStar after Rohit was dismissed for 8 on Sunday, Abhishek Nayar mirrored on how the previous captain educated like a bodybuilder to shed 11 kilograms via a meticulously deliberate coaching. regime in Mumbai that lasted eight weeks earlier than they shifted focus to ability work.

The Mumbai all-rounder, who has labored extensively with Rohit through the years, stated the ex-captain would do 700-800 repetitions for every muscle group as they centered on shedding weight earlier than starting expertise coaching.

Rohit performed his first aggressive match in 4 months, returning to worldwide cricket after practically seven months.

“To sum up, three hours of coaching on daily basis. We did not do a variety of cardio. The primary 5 weeks have been a couple of bodybuilder’s mindset the place he was making an attempt to coach to utterly lean down. He educated like a Bodybuilder – excessive repetitions,” Nayar stated.

“It will shock lots of people. Even Crew India’s energy and conditioning coach, Adrian Le Roux, would abuse me! However he did 700-800 reps for each physique half. It was nearly an hour-and-a-half session on daily basis. Think about, when you have been doing chest and triceps, you ended up doing 800 reps. With gentle weights, we did a variety of repetitions, aiming for energy and endurance. Together with that, we completed each session with round 15 to twenty minutes of cross-fit, which is extra cardio and movement-based. This was six days per week, three hours a day, for 3 months. It was continuous,” he added.

Nayar additionally stated Rohit displayed glorious self-discipline when it got here to consuming the suitable meals throughout the three-month coaching regime, noting that the star batter stayed away from a few of his favourite snacks, together with vadapav.

“However the recreation would not finish there. After that, his consuming habits needed to be managed,” Nayar stated.

“It was his dedication to go house and never indulge within the well-known vadapav and the whole lot else folks discuss. That was his dedication to the game. These three hours are solely as helpful as what you do after that. These 21 hours – the best way he managed himself, to not eat – that was the mindset.

“The primary eight weeks have been pure, hardcore coaching,” he added.

‘I’m pleased with you’

Rohit Sharma educated with Abhishek Nayar in Mumbai (PTI Photograph)

Nayar stated Rohit himself was shocked by how rather more freely he was capable of transfer as soon as they began engaged on his expertise.

“Then we launched expertise. We have been making an attempt to see what adjustments had come about in the best way he moved, how he felt after losing a few pounds. It has been a variety of onerous work – from being a bodybuilder to turning into an athlete in these few weeks,” he stated.

“The primary time we practiced, he performed a defensive shot. That day, the state of affairs was drop and run. When he ran and reached the non-striker’s finish, he stated: ‘Bhai, major toh ud raha hoon (Brother, I am flying).’ That was his suggestions, as a result of after a very long time, he was feeling actually gentle.”

Rohit shocked many when he flaunted his lean body at an awards present earlier in October in Mumbai.

Nayar revealed that Rohit was impressed by footage of himself wanting obese after getting back from a vacation, saying the India opener took word of the photographs that drew consideration to his stomach.

‘ROHIT NOTICED HIS AIRPORT PICS’

The previous Kolkata Knight Riders coach added that Rohit had undergone the same transformation after one in every of his barely obese pictures appeared in a newspaper following his omission from the 2011 World Cup. squad.

“He did the same transformation in 2011. Earlier than that, there was a photograph of him in a newspaper wanting cumbersome. He’s very explicit about his picture on social media. If a photograph of him comes out with a circle and an arrow on his abdomen, that conjures up him.

“A photograph like that went viral after he returned from his vacation put up the IPL. That photograph claimed he was obese. The dialogue then was centered round what we would have liked to do. Sure, we wished him to get match for cricket, however he additionally thought of how folks would visually understand Rohit. Sure, he has to extend his profession and attain the 2027 World Cup. The very first thing we wished to do was remodel him bodily.

“We focused 10 kilograms (weight reduction). Initially, I wasn’t very assured that he would lose that a lot. We began out with a objective in thoughts, however we would have liked consistency in coaching and diet. When you could have tournaments in between, you lose that consistency. However right here, we had three uninterrupted months. What occurred in three months right here could not have occurred in six,” he stated.

Having toned down, Rohit’s problem now lies in how he stays match-ready, with not many ODIs scheduled for India over the following two years. Whether or not Rohit and Virat Kohli – who now play just one format at worldwide stage – will function in home cricket to remain in contact stays to be seen.

Rohit appeared rusty on Sunday within the first ODI. He was dismissed for 8 by Josh Hazlewood as India’s high order faltered after Australia received the toss and opted to area on an overcast morning at Optus Stadium in Perth. Kohli, additionally making his worldwide return, was out for an eight-ball duck, whereas Shubman Gill, on ODI captaincy debut, fell for 10 as India have been reeling at 37 for 3 in 11.5 overs earlier than rain led to a prolonged interruption on Sunday morning.

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Printed By:

Akshay Ramesh

Printed On:

Oct 19, 2025