How Virat Kohli has taken Team India's fitness regimen to the next level

The Indian team's mercurial rise to the top of the cricket rankings in the last year-and-a-half has been nothing short of spectacular.

And one reason that can be attributed to it is the change in fitness levels of the cricketers.

It was during the Champions Trophy in 2013, when former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said that he will make India the best fielding side in the world and two years down the line that has happened. While he planted the seeds, his successor watered them and reaped the rewards and India are now one of the best fielding sides in the world and have only moved north in Test and ODI rankings. While Team India are No. 1 in Tests, they are tied with South Africa on 120 points and sit second on the table.

Since July 2016, India have played 20 Tests, winning 15 of them. They have played 33 ODIs and won 25 matches. And in 13 T20Is, they won six matches.

CHAMPIONS #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/eE3rsVQDjO- BCCI (@BCCI) November 7, 2017

While Dhoni's initiative started it,Virat Kohli's persuasion and dedication took it to the next level.

Everyone who follows cricket and has been following Kohli, knows that he loves to eat and he never tried to keep it a secret. But in a recent talk-show, Breakfast with Champions, he said he hasn't eaten Butter Chicken and Naan since 2013 -- while he was sad about it in the beginning, he is proud of it now. He also revealed his diet on a daily basis.

"I have a set breakfast. I eat an omelette, three egg whites, one whole egg. The spinach black pepper and cheese, some grilled bacon or smoked salmon along with it. I eat papaya or dragon fruit if it's available or watermelon. I eat decent amount of cheese for good fats. I carry my own butters and I get gluten free bread from the hotels...so I apply on that. Then a nice big pot of green tea with lemon, I drink three to four cups of that," said the Indian captain.

"Generally for lunch it's grilled chicken and mashed potatoes, spinach and veggies and for dinner it's seafood," he added.

Now that's some discipline for a foodie and the results have been there for everyone to see. His strict diet and emphasis on fitness has also made his teammates realise about theirs and how important it is to stay fit to play all the three formats of the game these days. Recently, Dinesh Karthik also came out and praised Kohli for his level of fitness and how it has made the people around him notice that and follow it.

"With a leader like Virat, who has absolutely got it spot on in terms of fitness, he has built his lifestyle around it. The team members are learning a lot from that and they can see the exceptional performances he has been able to give in the last 5-6 years. It has trickled down to the players," said Karthik.

How many one handed push ups can you do? ?? #TrainToLive #LiveToTrain ?? pic.twitter.com/gnQEk7cdiE- Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) September 16, 2017

Under captain Kohli, there are strict guidelines, which the players have to follow. They have to pass the Yo-Yo Endurance Test and only then can they be in contention. Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri's clear instructions are -- form is important but good level of fitness is mandatory. And many star players in Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh have fallen prey to it.

If one looks at the Indian team now, one will rarely find a player who cannot move swiftly and cover ground fast. The only player one can point fingers at is Ravichandran Ashwin but Ashwin has also improved leaps and bounds in the last year or so and all thanks to the captain's strict rules.

India's mission to top the rankings in all formats continue when they take on Sri Lanka in a three-match Test, ODI and T20I series each and it will only get tougher in the upcoming months when the team tours South Africa and England next. But, with a leader like Kohli both on and off the pitch, the motivation to do better and the chances of conquering the world certainly gets a bit easier.