Virat Kohli, the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain, is known for his unwavering passion for cricket. In the latest episode of RCB Bold Diaries, his childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma shared an incident from Kohli’s early days. Despite being advised by his mother and coach, Kohli was determined to face players much older than him after getting hit on the chest with the ball at the academy in West Delhi.
“On May 30, 1998, he came to me with his brother and father. Within a few days, we could see that he was different from others, a very active and very naughty guy. He was determined and dedicated and wanted to dominate from the first day. He had a tremendous self-belief that he can do anything.
“Junior teammates could never get Virat out so he came to me and said he wanted to play in the senior group. Despite my hesitation, he kept insisting and then I decided to give him a chance. I was also irritated but he played well. Though he once got hit on the chest, he told his mother, ‘I’ll play with seniors only come what may.’ He’s special and is god-gifted talent. He has been playing bold from a very young age,” Sharma said.
Kohli’s friend Shalaj Sondhi spoke of his talent and determination, stating that Kohli aimed to become an Indian cricketer in 2002 or 2003.
“We met in class fifth. Our team had a state match in Una and Virat was playing on 190. He had to complete his 200 runs in that innings and wickets were falling at the other end. So, when I came in to bat, Virat said, ‘you just have to stand and I will deliver.’ He went on to score 250 runs and then I realised he is the next version of the Indian cricket team. I have a scrapbook where every friend wrote something in it. They would write about themselves and Virat Kohli has also written. He wrote that he aimed to become an Indian cricketer in 2002 or 2003,” said Sondhi.
Anuj Rawat, another RCB batter, shared how Kohli’s struggles and the changes he made in himself have inspired him. Kohli’s childhood coach also shared an emotional moment when Kohli became the captain in all formats and called him to express his gratitude for his support.
“I also joined the same academy as Virat Kohli when I shifted to Delhi in 2011. At that time, India had just won the World Cup and when I found out that this is the same place where Virat trained, I enrolled. As the years went by, I got to know more about his struggles and the kind of changes he made in himself which really inspired me,” concluded RCB batter Anuj Rawat.