‘India Hockey Team Has 18-20 Virat Kohlis’: Stunning Revelation Made By 2011 ODI World Cup Winning Coach
Photo : Hockey India/AP
India are currently playing the Asia Cup 2025 at Rajgir in Bihar, in which they are flying high, having already qualified for the Super Four stage. Over and above this, they finished their league stage with a hammering of Kazakhstan by a margin of 15-2. The team look one of the most dominatn sides in the tournament, and well poised to even win the tournament, which will seal their place in the upcoming Men’s Hockey World Cup. One of the quiet forces in the Team India dressing room in mental strength and conditioning coach Paddy Upton, who was also a key part of India’s 2011 ODI World Cup win, and has worked with the likes of Virat Kohli in the past.
In an interaction with Mid-Day, Paddy Upton revealed that when it comes to dedication, sleeping, eating and training, the Indian hockey team in miles above the cricket team. In fact he went on to say that there are 18-20 Virat Kohlis in the hockey team in terms of physicality.
“If I compare the dedication to sleeping, eating, training of this team to my time in Indian cricket, these guys are another five leagues above that Indian cricket team. Virat, at his level of fitness and dedication, is unique in world cricket but here each player is as good as him. This is a team of 18 or 20 Virat Kohlis when it comes to that level of physicality,” Upton said.
‘Upton For 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics’
Paddy Upton further revealed that head coach Craig Fulton and captain Harmanpreet Singh want him to work with the team before big tournaments. Hence, he hinted that he will be part of the 2026 Men’s Hockey World Cup, as well as the LA Olympics in 2028.
“The leadership group, [coach] Craig Fulton and [captain] Harmanpreet Singh feel that I should work with the team before some of the big tournaments; this one, hopefully, the World Cup [in 2026] and the Olympics [2028] to help the players manage distraction,” he added.