Virat Kohli only a second away from Usain Bolt

The love for fitness that the Indian skipper Virat Kohli has is known to all. Time and again, the pictures and videos of Kohli working out have surfaced the social media. Now, a recent video analysis suggests that Kohli has become so athletic that he can run almost as quick as the renowned sprinter and Olympic medalist Usain Bolt. Usain Bolt runs 100 metres in between 9.58 and 9.75 seconds.

Considering the first 20 metres of his run or the sprint, the speed is probably close to about 2.8 seconds. Comparing this with the speed of Indian skipper Virat Kohli, the margin is very minimal. Kohli apparently runs only about two hundredth or three hundredth of a second slower than Usain Bolt when the 20 metres scheme is in the picture. In essence, Kohli covers the distance of 20 metres in just about 3.15 seconds.

This speed is actually very fast when seen from a cricketer’s point of view. Needless to say, when it comes to sprint and racing, every fraction of a second matter. And by that logic, there would perhaps be many other athletes running with the speed languishing between the speeds ticked by Virat Kohli and Usain Bolt. However, reiterating the same fact, Kohli’s speed when it comes to running is immensely fast. This was illustrated in an analysis video broadcasted during a show on Star Sports.

Yet to achieve his top speed

Sports scientist and the founder of a renowned sports institute, Shyamal Vallabhji, recently tried to decode the secret behind Kohli’s running abilities. He conceded that the fact of Kohli working a lot on his fitness and getting leaner has helped him gain speed. Also, he cited that the game of cricket is such that it rarely allows Kohli to run with his top speed.

“This transition has come on from the fact that he is now far more athletic. He is far leaner, and he is practising on his sprint mechanics. And actually, to be honest, if you put him on a 20 metre sprint track, he would probably run quicker than that. It is just that the nature and the mechanics of the game of cricket that he is never ever achieving the top speed,” quoted Shyamal Vallabhji.