Once a fan of sweets (especially chocolates and Éclairs), Kohli traded treats for treadmills, sculpting himself into one of the most formidable athletes on the global cricket stage. Kohli didn't just change his life—he became the poster boy for a "fit India," pushing a generation of cricketers to get serious about the gym. Rewind to 2008, and we find a young Kohli, already displaying glimpses of greatness by leading the Indian Under-19 team to World Cup glory. Just three years later, he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with legends like Sachin Tendulkar, celebrating India's 2011 World Cup win. But for Kohli, cricket was just as much a battle with himself as it was with the opposition. HOW VIRAT BECAME THE FITNESS ICON Fast-forward to 2012, the year everything changed. The IPL season had wrapped up, and Kohli, reflecting on his performance, saw himself with a fresh clarity. Reflecting on his fitness journey, Kohli once opened up in an interview with teammate Mayank Agarwal on the show Open Nets with Mayank. "I was disgusted with myself," Kohli admitted, recounting his realization that he needed to make a change. That season, he saw himself falling short of international fitness standards, which motivated him to lead by example. Kohli's transformation wasn't just a diet change-it was an all-encompassing shift in mentality. He ditched junk food, overhauled his training regime, and adopted a plant-based diet, all while keeping his eye on the long-term goal of high-performance, peak physical fitness. Cricket was no longer just about the scoreboard; it was about staying in the best shape possible to give it everything, every single game. Under Kohli's leadership, fitness became a mantra in the Indian dressing room. He led by example, pushing his teammates to higher standards and redefining what it meant to be "match-ready." Test cricket, with its physically grueling demands, saw an India team with fast bowlers now capable of bowling sustained spells and maintaining intensity throughout. Kohli made fitness fashionable, and suddenly, long hours at the gym became the norm rather than the exception.