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Xtra Time Web Desk: The chairman of selectors for BCCI Ajit Agarkar, emphasized the profound impact of Virat Kohli's fitness regimen on Indian cricket, highlighting its widespread influence. Contrasting Kohli's dedication to fitness with MS Dhoni's instinctive approach in a sport increasingly driven by data analytics. Agarkar underscored Kohli's unparalleled ability to excel in rigorous fitness routines even at the age of 35.

"Virat (Kohli) is a trailblazer in setting fitness standards. Throughout his 10–15-year career, he has continually improved his fitness, yielding visible results. When someone of his stature sets such high standards, it permeates throughout the cricketing landscape," Agarkar remarked on SportifywithPRG. He noted the significant improvement in players' fitness levels over the past two decades, attributing it to Kohli's influence on the younger generation.

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Amidst Kohli's exceptional performance in IPL 2024, marked by his eighth century in IPL history and leading the orange cap’s chart with 316 runs in five games, MS Dhoni's intuitive leadership remains noteworthy. Despite relinquishing the captaincy of the Chennai Super Kings, Dhoni's presence on the field instils confidence in his team. Agarkar, asserted that Dhoni's remarkable captaincy instincts cannot be replaced by any amount of artificial intelligence.

"The amount of data that's available, is incredible. You can plan a whole innings and I think everybody does it now, but it doesn't mean it will work all the time. You need a captain on the ground because not everything that you've planned is going to go your way. "On a particular day it might, but most days it won't. And that's where you need human instinct. That's why you call MS Dhoni a great captain because he had a feel for the game. He knew what was happening and how the game was changing," opined Agarkar.

Agarkar believes that IPL had become an excellent platform for scouting talent, but what was most important was a strong temperament that would separate them apart from the competition.

"You can see it, (IPL) keeps throwing up players out of the blue. Having been a selector for a few months, there are certain players who suddenly come and show even on the big stage. IPL is a fairly big stage because of the pressures involved, big crowds. You might be bowling to the top batters in the world, or you might be facing one of the top bowlers in the world, and that's when you stand up and that's where you judge the temperament of a player, whether he can do it consistently," said Agarkar. "It's sometimes a difficult task because of the sheer numbers (of players coming through the domestic structure) that we have. But, eventually, the more you watch players and temperament sometimes separates it," he added.

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Agarkar also believes that a tight-knit team is more prone to win matches.

"A tight-knit group generally helps. You don't need to be the best friends but you want to enjoy each other’s' success. If that doesn't happen sometimes it is a bit difficult."