Virat Kohli trains in London after leading RCB to IPL 2025 glory, gearing up for his ODI comeback with Team India. Inside his expert-driven preparation, workouts, and strategy.
India is buzzing with excitement. After captaining and leading Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to its first IPL championship in 2025, Virat Kohli, who retired from the Tests and T20I formats in 2024, is now in London, engaging in rigorous training in preparation to make a powerful comeback to One Day International (ODI) cricket. I’m just an analyst driven insane by cricket, and I will take you through his journey, what experts are saying, what training advice, and what this means for Indian cricket.
The journey up to this point: IPL to international cricket
IPL 2025 Success
Kohli showed what consistent performances and leadership can do to a franchise when RCB won their first IPL title like a seasoned champion. He not only provided frenzied starts as an explosive opener, but also set them up and anchored spectacular chases. He was their leader and the heart of their title run.
The shift in focus
He made a decision to single out the 50-over game and assign the focus of his career solely to the 50-over format and franchise cricket. With the amount of mileage on an athlete’s body, he decided to focus and commit to his prime years to maximize playing potential as well as broaden his tenured career.
Why leave India for London? Making sense of the move
Relocating your training routine away from home and across the planet is not a random move, and there is beauty, strategy, and meaning behind the move.
Access to quality facilities
Having gym and sports science options at the highest level with access to top athletes, first-class training facilities, biomechanics labs for injury recovery, reconditioning protocols, and medical staff, London becomes the perfect location for Olympic type training protocols.
The London Training Regimen’s Inside Scoop: The Nitro Aspects
A. Strength & Conditioning: Reload Mode
Data point: The reports suggest Kohli is working out in the gym 5–6 times a week, focusing on explosiveness via plyometrics and heavy lifts to challenge his batting power.
Case study: Kohli adopted a new leg day routine in 2015, resulting in around a 7% increase in shot exit velocity. We would expect similar results now.
B. Nets & Skill Work: Priority is Accuracy and Not Power
One-on-one coaching with other former professional cricketers, focusing on:
Handling late swing
Defensively coping under pressure
Choice of shots against seam and spin
Techno-help: High-speed video analysis examines Kohli’s stance, backlift, and release in a time-stretched format to create timing and releases.
C. Practicing Game Situations: We call it the ‘zone’ scenario
We broke it down into steps:
Stance & Intent: The first 15 minutes of the nets simulate live match footwork
Pressure overs: Middle sessions run scenarios chasing target runs in overs (example: require 80–90 runs in 10 overs from overs 30–40)
Finishing drills: In our last 5 overs target, go for score targets at various bowling speeds.
‘Cool-down’ debrief: Reviewing the frames while discussing, “where did I mis-cue” to reset mentally.
Expert opinion: A former coach with the Indian ODI Team stated, “Mimicking match-tempo ideas in practice conditions primes the mind and the rhythm – exactly what Virat needs to ensure his success in ODIs.”
What This Means for Team India & ODI Fans
Restored power: Kohli’s return means Team India has added one of its most dependable power-players in the ODI format ever.
Leadership lift: Kohli (even though without a captain’s armband) brings his experience and intensity to lift the entire squad.
Form benefit: Kohli’s IPL season, combined with a disciplined preparation routine, means he is highly likely to be in the ODI rhythm before anyone else.
Conclusion
Virat Kohli’s London training camp represents much more than physical fitness; it is a process that is fully planned out by experts, designed for ODI redemption. Kohli’s structures, commitment, and fierce laser focus, to prepare for an exciting return to the international arena.
FAQs
1. Why not train in India, instead of London?
London has unrivaled support—improved technology, opposition conditions simulated, and focused conditions—all best designed for assessing preparation for ODI-specific tours abroad.
2. Is this his first return to international cricket after his retirement?
Absolutely— this is his first ‘comeback’ effort into the ODI arena since his retirement from Test and T20I in 2024.
3. But, does training in London risk his body after a long IPL season?
Actually, this is the opposite—London’s training facilities aid in scheduling high-intensity training periods between recovery therapies, to reduce the injury risk.