IPL 2022 | Bhanuka Rajapaksa tags Virat Kohli as 'Cristiano Ronaldo' of cricket

Stylish Sri Lankan batsman Bhanuka Rajapaksa lit up the Indian Premier League (IPL) in his very first outing for the Punjab Kings (PBKS) against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Sunday.

Batting at three during a 206-run chase, Rajapaksa smashed a 22-ball 44 with the help of two fours and as many as four sixes. Once again, it led to the discussions around his repeated omission from the national side.

Back in January, Rajapaksa shocked the cricket world when he announced retirement from international cricket, following repeated omissions from the Lankan side due to fitness issues. He did take the resignation but still didn't find a place in the squad for the Indian tour.

The IPL is the greatest platform for any international or local cricketer to make a mark at the global level, and Rajapaksa is determined to learn and grow by spending time with some of the greats of the game, including Virat Kohli.

Virat is the gold standard in the modern era as far as fitness is concerned. Referring to Kohli as the 'Cristiano Ronaldo', Rajapaksa is determined to seek advice from the former Indian captain. 

"Outside of the team, Virat Kohli is always someone I could speak to and get some advice on fitness. He's at another different level when it comes to fitness," Rajapaksa told PTI. 

"To me, he is the Cristiano Ronaldo of cricket for sure. The work he puts in you can obviously see the results. You can compare him to anyone when it comes to fitness or even skills-wise. He plays so hard and you can learn a lot by talking to him," he added.

On the fitness over skill debate, Rajapaksa said that the latter is most important for him but conceded that one cannot succeed at the elite level without possessing peak fitness.

"As a player, you need your fitness but it could be different from person to person. For me, of course, skill comes first. And then the fitness, but if you are not fit enough you definitely can't perform," the Sri Lankan cricketer concluded. 

Rajapaksa will be determined to continue with the good work in the forthcoming games and ensure he stakes a permanent claim in the starting XI for PBKS and Sri Lanka.