While a bunch of India’s star cricketers, including ODI captain Rohit Sharma, checked into the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence recently for the pre-season fitness tests, former skipper Virat Kohli was a noticeable absence from the drills in Bengaluru. Reports had since emerged that Kohli had undergone his tests in London, sparking debates on social media and among former Indian cricketers on the uncommon practice.
India football legend Sunil Chhetri recently revealed that Kohli had shared some of his test results with him, expressing that he was happy being in the company of such elite athletes.
‘Addictive to be in Kohli’s company’
“A few days back, he (Kohli) was sending me his scores of one of the tests he was doing. It is so addictive, and it is so good to know these kinds of people. On your bad days when you feel a bit lethargic, you see them and think, ‘let’s go’. When you are at the top, everyone wants to be a Virat Kohli or Ronaldo, and for these two to keep their place is unbelievable,” India’s record goal-scorer Chhetri said on the DesiPL podcast.
Kohli and Chhetri, known for their supreme dedication to fitness levels, have shared great camaraderie off the field. Chhetri and Virat Kohli have a history of meeting up in Bengaluru during the Indian Premier League. The veteran footballer wasn’t taken aback by the 36-year-old’s decision to step away from Test cricket in May 2025.
Cristiano Ronaldo 🤝 Virat Kohli
Sunil Chhetri talks about the mentality he’s learnt from them.
Watch the full episode on the Premier League website or app.@ManUtd | @chetrisunil11 | @Cristiano | @imVkohli pic.twitter.com/HcoW2F1xVj
— Premier League India (@PLforIndia) September 7, 2025
Chettri’s Kohli-Ronaldo comparison
The 41-year-old Chhetri also compared Kohli to footballing superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, who holds the record for the most professional career goals among all active players. Kohli, on numerous occasions, has picked Ronaldo as his sporting inspiration outside cricket, and Chhetri said the duo share similar mentalities.
“I don’t know personally (Cristiano) Ronaldo. I have watched him, studied him. I know Virat (Kohli). The one common thing about these two is that they are just not happy with what they have already achieved. I tried in my whatever way to inculcate the same thing because once when you start getting into that circle where you start thinking about what you have done, good or bad, then you are not in the same track that you want to be,” remarked Chhetri.
“Whatever happened today, gaya (it is over). Otherwise, how does a Virat Kohli or Ronaldo get up and again be at their best?. It is not easy. When you are successful for so long, when you have done so much, when you have won almost everything, to still get up and do what they are doing is unbelievable”.
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The 40-year-old Ronaldo returned to scoring duties for Portugal on Saturday, opening the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers campaign with a brace against Armenia. Meanwhile, it is unclear when Kohli will next be seen on the field. India are slated to played three 50-over A games later this month before a limited-overs tour to Australia in late October.
