New Delhi, September 10, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Former India cricketer and coach Abhishek Nayar has revealed how Rohit Sharma responded to his omission from India’s 2011 ODI World Cup squad by undergoing a major fitness transformation ahead of the IPL that year.
Rohit, who had expected to make the squad for the World Cup that India eventually won, was left disappointed after his exclusion. Nayar, who worked closely with him during his early career, recalled how the setback prompted the batter to place greater emphasis on fitness and physical conditioning.
Speaking on The Great Indian Cricket Show on Doordarshan, Nayar said he and Rohit often differed over training in their early days, with Nayar favouring intensive gym sessions while Rohit relied more heavily on his natural batting skills.
Nayar said the turning point came after a news channel published a photograph of Rohit highlighting his belly. The image, he recalled, stayed with the batter.
According to Nayar, after the World Cup squad was announced, Rohit told him that he wanted to enter the IPL with a visibly transformed physique.
“When the World Cup squad was announced and he was not selected, we were at his house. He expected to be picked. IPL was scheduled to take place after about a month and a half, and he told me, ‘Nayar, whatever it takes in these six weeks, I need to enter the IPL with at least a four-pack,’” Nayar recalled.
He said Rohit achieved the target and entered IPL 2011 with four-pack abs.
Nayar emphasised that Rohit’s batting ability was never in doubt, but improved fitness helped him elevate his overall skill set. He also noted that the fitness culture in Indian cricket had not yet undergone the transformation that followed in subsequent years.
Rohit went on to become one of India’s most successful white-ball batters and captains. He led India to the 2024 T20 World Cup title and the 2025 Champions Trophy, besides being part of the team that finished runners-up at the 2023 ODI World Cup.
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