Where And How Virat Kohli Prepares In London For India Matches? Dale Steyn Reveals Chat With Legendary Batter

India vs South Africa 1st ODI Result: Former South Africa pacer Dale Steyn has made a revelation on his conversation with India's senior batter Virat Kohli ahead of the first ODI between both teams in Ranchi. Kohli ended up smashing a memorable century as India defeated South Africa by 17 runs at the JSCA International Cricket Stadium to go 1-0 up in the three-match series.

Kohli told Steyn that he has been regularly practising at the Lord’s Cricket Ground and at Surrey to prepare for India's matches. He works with a personal trainer to stay in perfect shape despite not playing any competitive cricket otherwise.

Kohli retired from T20Is in 2024 and from Tests in May this year. While his availability for the ODI World Cup 2027 is yet to be confirmed, it is always discussed how the veteran batter prepares and keeps himself fit despite the lack of game time. A lot was turned down when Virat played an iconic knock of 135 runs in 120 balls on the back of 11 fours and seven sixes.

ALSO READ: Rohit Sharma Shakes His Head During Serious Chat With Gautam Gambhir In Dressing Room During Ranchi ODI

"I actually saw him last night at dinner," Steyn said on the broadcast. "I had a chat with him and asked him, ‘What do you do, because you play just one format?’, and he said, ‘I live in London now’. He has great facilities at Lord’s, at Surrey, and he goes to practice too. There’s a trainer he works with. I can’t remember. But he’s always well prepared."

ALSO READ: Bangladesh Premier League Squads, Check Team-Wise Players List After Auction

"When you look at him, he’s in tip-top condition all the time, mentally, he is super strong. He’s played the game for so long – 51 ODI hundreds before this one. So he’s well aware of his game, how he goes about scoring his runs. He comes in, joins the team, and is fully committed. And then you see such kind of performances. That is what true professionals do," Steyn, who played with Kohli at Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), added.

Having smashed his 52nd ODI ton, Virat was adjudged as the Player of the Match and the former Indian skipper said that at this stage of his career, he only needed physical fitness and mental clarity to come back into the team.

India will play two more ODIs against South Africa, on Wednesday, December 3, and Saturday, December 6. The Men in Blue will then host New Zealand for a three-ODI series in January 2026.