3 Olympic sports Virat Kohli would have been good at if he wasn’t a cricketer
The Paris Olympics 2024 is in full swing, with India having won five medals (one silver and four bronze). Meanwhile, cricket is scheduled to be included in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. It is uncertain whether Virat Kohli will be there or not, but it’s interesting to think about what other sports the Indian veteran would have excelled in if he wasn’t a cricketer.
The former Indian captain is 35 years old and is still very fit. He’s often seen spending time in the gym and continuously working on his fitness.
Virat is someone who can fit in an array of games given his body conditions. His athleticism, competitive spirit, and mental toughness could have made him dominant in different sports.
On that note, let’s take a look at a few Olympic sports that Virat Kohli could have excelled at if he weren’t a cricketer.
#1 Badminton
Badminton is a game where speed and agility are vital, and Kohli's quick movements and reactions would be ideal. He might have been a very effective player on the court because of his tactical approach and competitive spirit. In badminton, his sharp reflexes and great footwork would come in handy.
In 2017, during a conversation with CNN News 18, the Indian cricketer revealed that badminton was the sport that was closest to his heart after cricket.
"Probably Badminton. My closest friend was a state-level badminton player. So, I used to compete with him and got to learn a lot about the sport," Kohli said when asked about one sport he could have opted for other than cricket.
#2 Weightlifting
Virat Kohli is a great fitness enthusiast. The right-handed batter is often seen lifting heavy weights in the gym. Weightlifting might be a good fit for him in the Olympics, given his strength and strict training schedule.
Kohli has proven throughout his cricket career that he possesses the substantial upper-body power and mental attention required for the sport.
The former Indian captain gives immense importance to fitness and often posts videos of himself doing weightlifting. With Virat Kohli already having expertise in the field, he would have been a good weightlifter if he had chosen it as his profession.
#3 Table tennis
Table tennis is a sport that requires quick reflexes, control, agility, speed, and hand-eye coordination to excel in this field. Virat Kohli is someone who has demonstrated all these traits on the cricket field.
The Indian cricketer has shown brilliant reflexes over the years in the field; he is a great sprinter, and with the way he controls his shots, who knows Kohli would have done wonders in table tennis if he had chosen it as a serious career option? It could have been a delight to watch.