'To me, he's the Cristiano Ronaldo of cricket’ - Bhanuka Rajapaksa awestruck by Virat Kohli’s fitness

Bhanuka Rajapaksa, the Sri Lankan cricketer who represents the Punjab Kings in IPL 2022, has revealed that he wants to know Virat Kohli’s fitness regime. Rajapaksa was ruled out of his home T20I squad due to fitness issues, and he feels that Kohli is one of the fittest players in world cricket right now.

He commended Kohli’s on his work ethic and stated that he is looking forward to having a conversation with him and know more about the secret to his fitness. Amazed by his fitness, he called Virat the Cristiano Ronaldo of cricket.

“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. 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,” he was quoted as saying by Indian Express.

Skills come first, and then the fitness: Bhanuka Rajapaksa

The PBKS batter said that he would hit 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 the 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 30-year-old, who looks up to Kohli for his fitness, made his mark in the opening match of PBKS against RCB. He went on to smack a 22-ball 43 and played a significant role in his team’s victory during the chase. PBKS chased down 206 runs in 19 overs to open their IPL campaign with a win.

PBKS, led by Mayank Agarwal, will face Shreyas Iyer-led KKR in their next contest at the Wankhede Stadium on April 1, 2022.