IPL 2020: 'Virat Kohli has come back in much better shape,' says Basu Shanker on RCB captain’s lockdown routine

Shanker Basu, the man who Indian captain Virat Kohli gives all the credit for his fitness transformation, revealed that the RCB captain has come out of the lockdown a much fitter person. He said that Virat Kohli could work on things that would not have been possible in an otherwise-packed international calendar.

Virat Kohli was cooped up at his Mumbai residence for close to five months and regularly did fitness training. It has helped him with his skill sets even though he admitted to having been “scared” to resume playing cricket.

“He (Virat Kohli) has come back in much better shape. He is at his best weight at the moment and his movement patterns are pretty much in sync with his best self in the past. He has taken this break as an opportunity to work on all the pointers which needed attention from a physical point.

“He (Virat Kohli) had the time to be very specific with his meal plans and running intervals at home. He did not have much of a choice during the lockdown and he invested on a treadmill and worked on his endurance which is otherwise not possible during a packed calendar,” Basu, who is now the strength and conditioning coach of RCB, told PTI from Dubai.

Along with Virat Kohli, fast bowlers hold the key to RCB's success

Basu Shanker worked with the Indian team between 2015 and 2019. Image Credits: India TV News

Basu added that the workload management of fast bowlers would be given particular attention, considering the hot and humid conditions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

“Our bowling coach (Adam Griffith) has come with a specific plan pertaining to loads in the first two weeks and that will be used as a blueprint. The players have done a lot of fitness work and complimenting the skills and choosing the right exercises to get the balance will provide the much-needed impetus for every bowler,” Basu further added.

RCB’s bowling attack banks heavily on the Indian pace trio of Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini and Mohammad Siraj, and taking proper care of their diet and recovery will be the key to their success in IPL 2020.