From ‘Maggi Man’ To Hitman: Rohit Sharma’s Tough Transformation Journey Revealed

It has been a tough journey for Indian cricket team Rohit Sharma when it comes to his international career. The star batter made waves with his performances in the domestic circuit and was even part of the India squad that won the T20 World Cup 2007 title. However, his performances dipped over time and he was ultimately dropped for the 2011 ODI World Cup. That was a major setback for Rohit but he worked hard and established himself as one of the premier batters in the world right now. One of the biggest challenges for Rohit was to work on his fitness as he was often criticised for his weight. In a recent interaction, Kolkata Knight Riders assistant coach Abhishek Nayar revealed what motivated Rohit to work on his fitness and completely turn around his career.

“When Rohit was not picked for the 2011 World Cup, I always told him ‘let’s work hard’. Because he had gained a bit of weight at that time. A visual, an ad was aired, which showed Rohit and Yuvraj [Singh] standing, and there was a circle marked around Rohit’s tummy with an arrow pointing towards it. I will never forget it. We were at home, watching TV. And looking at that visual, Rohit said I have to change this (perception),” Nayar told YouTuber and podcaster Ranveer Allahabadia on his show TRS Clips.

“A few days later, the World Cup team was announced, but he wasn’t part of the squad. At that point, Rohit Sharma became the Hitman. Because everything changed – his approach and how he wanted to go about his career. He was the first guy, and that was my first journey with someone who transitioned into a successful cricketer and changed a lot of opinions,” added Nayar.

“People used to say a lot of things about him. Two-minute Maggi-man and stuff like that. There were a lot of things said about Rohit Sharma. That changed everything. He said to me ‘I’ll do whatever you say, but when the IPL gets over, people should say ‘he is not the same Rohit Sharma. He is someone else'”.