Manpreet Singh Challenges Virat Kohli and RCB to a Fitness Showdown

A Friendly Challenge from Hockey's Manpreet Singh

Manpreet Singh, the former captain of the Indian hockey team, has playfully invited cricket star Virat Kohli and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team to join him for a joint training session and a fitness competition.

This invitation follows Kohli's recent comments praising the fitness levels of hockey players, where he candidly stated that cricketers are 'not even 15%' as fit as their hockey counterparts. During the RCB Innovation Lab Summit, Kohli remarked that if hockey players observed cricket training sessions, they would likely find them amusing.

Kohli expressed, 'If hockey players watched our training sessions, they'd probably laugh because their sport demands far more physically.'

Kohli's Fitness Acknowledgment

Virat Kohli, recognized as one of the fittest cricketers globally, has frequently discussed his rigorous training regimen aimed at maintaining peak endurance. Despite his fitness, he humbly acknowledges the higher physical demands of field hockey, which requires sustained aerobic capacity throughout a 60-minute match.

Manpreet's Invitation to RCB

Impressed by Kohli's sportsmanship, Manpreet extended an invitation to him and the entire RCB squad for a training session with the Indian national hockey team. In a conversation with RevzSports, he stated, 'We want to invite Virat and the entire RCB team to come and do a training session with us. We will compete against each other.'

Fitness Standards in Hockey vs. Cricket

The Indian hockey team undergoes rigorous training and fitness assessments, including the Yo-Yo test, which the cricket team adopted during Kohli's captaincy to set a new fitness benchmark. Hockey players typically score above 20 in the Yo-Yo test, while cricketers aim for scores between 16 and 18, highlighting the intense aerobic demands of hockey.

Despite the fitness challenge, Manpreet acknowledged the complexities of cricket, stating, 'Their game is also difficult. The ball comes so fast. If you ask us to bat, that will be difficult too.' He emphasized that both sports require unique skill sets.

Kohli's Fitness Legacy

Under Kohli's leadership, the Indian cricket team was required to pass the Yo-Yo test as a fitness prerequisite for national selection, significantly raising the team's physical standards. The captain-coach duo of Kohli and Ravi Shastri played a crucial role in enforcing these stringent fitness requirements.