IPL 2022: Virat Kohli Is "Cristiano Ronaldo Of Cricket," Says Punjab Kings Batter

Former India skipper Virat Kohli is arguably the fittest cricketer in the world. As a result, he has inspired several Indian, and overseas players. The newest addition to that list is Sri Lanka batter Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who has decided to seek fitness advice from Kohli, having been dropped from the national team. Rajapaksa, who is currently part of the Punjab Kings franchise, scored a fine knock of 43 off 22 balls to help his team register a win over the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

"IPL is the best league in the world, and with every teammate of yours, you get to learn a lot about the game, so I am loving picking the brains of Shikhar Dhawan. I get along very well with Mayank Agarwal as we played U-19 together," Rajapaksa told news agency PTI.

"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.

Impressed by Kohli's fitness ethics, Rajapaksa even compared the RCB player with Portugal and Manchester United star footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, who is one of the fittest athletes in the world.

"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 fitness or even skills wise. He plays so hard and you can learn a lot by talking to him," he said.

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Earlier this year, Rajapaksa stunned everyone by announcing his retirement, but made a U-turn at the request of the Sri Lankan minister and the board.

(With PTI Inputs)