Revolutionary Basu recalls time with Indian team, says Kohli hasn't had a cheat day in 2 years

He came in when the Indian cricket team was "looking for a fitness culture" and former strength and conditioning coach Shankar Basu says his stint has ended with the satisfaction that none of the players would be able to "leave the regimen even if they wanted to".

The 50-year-old's four-year tenure ended with the World Cup.

While Kohli was always a "freak" who has not taken a cheat day in the last two years, the Chennai-based professional is most satisfied about the transformation he has brought in the fitness levels of speedsters Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammad Shami.

"When I started it was a challenge to transform the culture, now 90 per cent of the team trains very professionally. There will always be one or two in every team who require the extra push," Basu, whose contract with the Indian team ended on July 30, told PTI.

He also worked extensively with the others including KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Ishant, Dinesh Karthik and Ravichandran Ashwin. The list goes on. ...