Rohit Sharma underwent a remarkable fitness transformation before India’s Australia series, shedding 11kg through a strict diet and intense workouts. Avoiding junk like vadapav and performing 700–800 gym reps daily, the star batter focused on strength, endurance, and agility for peak performance.
Rohit Sharma’s transformation has emerged as a significant topic of discussion as he prepares for his one-day international comeback in Australia. Although Rohit faced an unsuccessful return to international cricket following an early dismissal in the ODI series opener against Australia in Perth, the former captain, now 38, has positioned himself optimally to pursue his aspiration of playing until the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Rohit has caught many by surprise with his lean and fit appearance, just months after he seemed overweight upon returning from a family vacation. There has been considerable talk about Rohit’s intense training sessions with former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar in Mumbai as he readied himself for his one-day international return.
In an interview with JioStar after Rohit was out for 8 runs on Sunday, Abhishek Nayar shared insights on how the former captain trained rigorously like a bodybuilder, managing to lose 11 kilograms through a carefully structured training program in Mumbai that spanned eight weeks before they shifted their focus to skill development.
The Mumbai all-rounder, who has collaborated closely with Rohit over the years, mentioned that the ex-captain would perform 700-800 repetitions for each muscle group as they concentrated on weight loss prior to commencing skill training.
Rohit participated in his first competitive match in four months, marking his return to international cricket after nearly seven months away.
“To sum up, three hours of training every day. We didn’t do a lot of cardio. The first five weeks were about a bodybuilder’s mindset where he was trying to train to completely lean down. He trained like a bodybuilder – high repetitions,” Nayar said.
“It would surprise a lot of people. Even Team India’s strength and conditioning coach, Adrian Le Roux, would abuse me! But he did 700-800 reps for every body part. It was almost an hour-and-a-half session every day. Imagine, if you were doing chest and triceps, you ended up doing 800 reps. With light weights, we did a lot of repetitions, aiming for strength and endurance. Along with that, we finished every session with around 15 to 20 minutes of cross-fit, which is more cardio and movement-based. This was six days a week, three hours a day, for three months. It was non-stop,” he added.
Nayar also highlighted Rohit’s remarkable self-discipline regarding his diet during the three-month training period, pointing out that the star batter avoided some of his favorite snacks, including vadapav.
“But the game doesn’t end there. After that, his eating habits had to be controlled,” Nayar said.
10 kilos down, 800 reps strong! #AbhishekNayar breaks down @ImRo45‘s fitness journey – the hard work, the discipline, and the transformation behind the Hitman’s return. #AUSvIND 1st ODI | LIVE NOW pic.twitter.com/UKfDWdFUBN
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) October 19, 2025
“It was his commitment to go home and not indulge in the famous vadapav and everything else people talk about. That was his commitment to the sport. Those three hours are only as useful as what you do after that. Those 21 hours – the way he controlled himself, not to eat – that was the mindset.
“The first eight weeks were pure, hardcore training,” he added.
“Then we introduced skills. We were trying to see what changes had come about in the way he moved, how he felt after losing weight. It’s been a lot of hard work – from being a bodybuilder to becoming an athlete in those few weeks,” he said.
“The first time we practised, he played a defensive shot. That day, the scenario was drop and run. When he ran and reached the non-striker’s end, he said: ‘Bhai, main toh ud raha hoon (Brother, I’m flying).’ That was his feedback, because after a long time, he was feeling really light.”
Rohit left many in awe when he showcased his toned physique at an awards ceremony earlier in October in Mumbai.
Nayar disclosed that Rohit was motivated by photos of himself appearing overweight after his holiday, noting that the India opener took heed of the images that highlighted his belly.
“He did a similar transformation in 2011. Before that, there was a photo of him in a newspaper looking bulky. He is very particular about his image on social media. If a photo of him comes out with a circle and an arrow on his stomach, that inspires him.
“A photo like that went viral after he returned from his holiday post the IPL. That photo claimed he was overweight. The discussion then was centred around what we needed to do. Yes, we wanted him to get fit for cricket, but he also thought about how people would visually perceive Rohit. Yes, he has to prolong his career and reach the 2027 World Cup. The first thing we wanted to do was transform him physically.
“We targeted 10 kilograms (weight loss). Initially, I wasn’t very confident that he would lose that much. We started out with a goal in mind, but we needed consistency in training and nutrition. When you have tournaments in between, you lose that consistency. But here, we had three uninterrupted months. What happened in three months here couldn’t have happened in six,” he said.
Also read| ‘Arey bhai, use popcorn mat de’: Abhishek Nayar’s hilarious response after seeing Rohit Sharma munch during rain delay goes viral
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