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'I've Made Peace' - R Ashwin On Being Unable To Match Virat Kohli's Fitness Standards

image-lpm9c9itRavichandran Ashwin (X.com)

Ravichandran Ashwin, widely regarded as one of the most intelligent cricketers across the globe, is set on a path to become India's second-highest wicket-taker in test format. 

Despite being repeatedly sidelined due to team combination issues, Ashwin never used snubs as an excuse to stop working on himself.

For Ashwin, staying relevant to the constantly evolving dynamics of modern-day cricket holds the utmost importance. In a recent interview with Sportstar, the spin wizard opened up on the sacrifices he made to achieve fitness standards set by the game's greatest.

Ashwin reckons how he gave up food and worked twice as hard to achieve fitness standards because he is not blessed with a natural athletic body. Yet, he wasn't able to reach the fitness level of someone like Virat Kohli, who is somehow responsible for bringing in the "fitness" trend.


However, the off-spinner never held it against him and made peace with the fact that he could never be a Virat Kohli in terms of physical fitness long back. At the end of the day, each individual has their own journey to go through. 

"I have sacrificed my food, I have sacrificed my lifestyle, I train doubly harder and yet I could never be a Virat Kohli. And that is something I've made peace with, because that is his journey and this is my journey," said Ashwin

R Ashwin also added how the word "sacrifice" does not exist in his dictionary. He believes when one gives up something for the sake of the thing they love, it's never a sacrifice. 

For him, cricket is his first love. So anything he does or lets go for the sake of the sport will never be counted as a sacrifice. 

"For me, staying relevant, to be able to put myself on the ground and exhibit my skill has been at the forefront. I have never really seen it as a sacrifice. Instead, it's been an absolute journey of pleasure and joy,"  Ashwin added.

Ultimately, Ashwin's journey in international cricket remained filled with ups and downs. Yet the spin wizard defied the odds to stand tall and still continues to fight for a spot in the national team at the age of 37, which is a perfect testament to his longevity. 

Having said that, after the World Cup snub, the spinner has been picked for the upcoming South Africa tour, wherein he is expected to feature on the red ball side.