No More Vadapav: The Inside Story of Rohit's Amazing 11kg Transformation

Mumbai: When Rohit Sharma walked out to bat in Perth on Sunday, fans couldn't help but notice something different. The 38-year-old looked leaner, fitter, and more athletic than he had in years. And there's a fascinating story behind this transformation—one that involves giving up Mumbai's famous vadapav, doing 800 reps in the gym daily, and a single airport photo that changed everything.

Former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar, who worked closely with Rohit during this transformation, has revealed exactly what it took for the Indian captain to shed 11 kilograms in just three months.

The Photo That Started It All

It wasn't a fitness test or a warning from the selectors that motivated Rohit. It was a photograph. After returning from his UK holiday following the IPL 2025 season, Rohit was clicked at the airport looking noticeably heavier. The photo went viral on social media, with people drawing circles and arrows pointing to his stomach.

"There was this spitting image of him walking out of the airport after his holiday in the UK. So that was something he wanted to change. He wanted to come back," Nayar told JioHotstar before the Perth ODI.

Rohit is very particular about his image on social media, and that viral photo was the wake-up call he needed. "If a photo of him comes out with a circle and an arrow on his stomach, that inspires him," Nayar revealed.

Three Hours a Day, Six Days a Week

What followed was three months of absolutely brutal training. Rohit committed to three-hour sessions every day, six days a week. But this wasn't your typical cricket fitness routine.

"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 explained.

And when Nayar says high repetitions, he means it. Rohit was doing 700 to 800 reps for every body part. That's not a typo—eight hundred reps! Even India's strength and conditioning coach Adrian Le Roux was shocked by the routine and would jokingly "abuse" Nayar for putting Rohit through it.

"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," Nayar said.

Each gym session lasted about 90 minutes, followed by 15 to 20 minutes of crossfit—cardio and movement-based exercises. This went on non-stop for three months.

Goodbye, Vadapav!

But here's the thing about fitness—what you do in the gym is only part of the battle. The real test is what happens in the other 21 hours of the day.

"The game doesn't end there. After that, his eating habits had to be controlled," Nayar revealed. And this is where Rohit showed incredible discipline. He had to give up Mumbai's beloved vadapav, a street food snack he's famously fond of and often gets trolled about online.

"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," Nayar said. "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."

For three months, Rohit stuck to a strict diet plan, avoiding all his favorite foods to achieve his weight loss goal.

"Bhai, Main Toh Ud Raha Hoon!"

The hard work paid off, and Rohit himself could feel the difference. Nayar shared a beautiful moment from their first practice session after the weight loss.

During a drill where Rohit had to play a defensive shot and then run, he sprinted to the non-striker's end and turned to Nayar with a big smile. "Bhai, main toh ud raha hoon (Brother, I'm flying)," he said. After so long, he was finally feeling light and agile again.

"We were trying to see what changes had come about in the way he moved, how he felt after losing weight," Nayar said. "It's been a lot of hard work—from being a bodybuilder to becoming an athlete in those few weeks."

The 2027 World Cup Dream

This transformation wasn't just about looking good or silencing social media trolls. Rohit has a clear goal in mind—the 2027 ODI World Cup. He'll be 40 years old by then, and he knows that if he wants to be part of that tournament, he needs to be in the best shape of his life.

"The outlook was obviously the 2027 World Cup—to be fitter, to be stronger, to be lighter, agile," Nayar explained. "And the skill has always been there. So the fitness has only amplified the skill. It's helped him move faster. His agility is the best it's ever been."

Nayar believes those 11 kilograms Rohit lost will directly translate into better cricket. "We are hoping that those 11 kilos that he's lost—you can see those faster pulls and better square cuts this time around," he said.

A Mental Transformation Too

Beyond the physical changes, Nayar says Rohit's mental state has also improved. "He's excited. He's keen. He knows there's a bit of pressure and talk around, you know, will he reach the 2027 World Cup? The first statement was his weight. Hopefully, the second statement is the runs he gets with the bat."

The commitment Rohit showed during these three months has been remarkable. Initially, Nayar wasn't even confident they could hit the 10-kilogram target. But Rohit's consistency in both training and nutrition made it possible.

"We targeted 10 kilograms. Initially, I wasn't very confident that he would lose that much. But here, we had three uninterrupted months. What happened in three months here couldn't have happened in six," Nayar said.

The Results Are In

While Rohit only managed 8 runs in the first ODI against Australia in Perth, the transformation is undeniable. He looks sharper, moves better, and most importantly, he's shown the commitment needed to extend his career and chase that 2027 World Cup dream.

For a 38-year-old who has already achieved everything in cricket, to put himself through such a grueling routine shows how much the game still means to him. No vadapav, 800 reps a day, strict diet control for three months—Rohit Sharma has earned the right to be called "The Hitman" not just for his batting, but for his determination too.