Dubai: If there is one person who is quite matter of fact about the phenomenal run of Virat Kohli, it’s his longtime coach Raj Kumar Sharma. While the cricketing world could not stop gushing at the form of the Indian Test captain since the beginning of the new year, his Dronacharya (a character from Indian mythology meaning the mentor) feels he is only reaping the benefits of his ‘hard work.’
Speaking to Gulf News from New Delhi, the soft-spoken coach felt there has been no magic recipe behind his favourite pupil’s form, which has made him unstoppable in the current IPL — not to speak of the unofficial best batsman’s tag in the world today.
“No, there has been no perceptible change in his technique. It’s just that he has become more responsible with the Test captaincy and keeps on working extremely hard at his game,” said Sharma.
Now if one finds Sharma’s observation ‘boring,’ don’t miss the resonance with his most celebrated student’s thoughts the other day after Kohli guided his team to the IPL play-offs with yet another matured innings under pressure. It’s the ‘boring routine,’ in Kohli’s words, which is the key behind the success for any elite professional sportsperson behind all the glitz and glamour — and Sharma is privy to it.
Asked if it’s the hunger to succeed, which set Kohli apart from some of his peers, Sharma said: “He is also a very keen learner and has got a mature head on his shoulders. Even at this point of his career, he calls me up after almost every international game and seeks my inputs.”
While the tag of being Kohli’s coach has helped in raising the stock of Sharma’s academy in recent years, the 51-year-old former first class cricketer is most comfortable in staying in the background and prefers to let things be that way. “It was at the age of nine that Virat walked into my West Delhi Cricket Academy with his dad in 1998. His father told me to take care of him and I am extremely happy to see him where he is… our bonding still remains,” Sharma said.
There have been no dearth of downswings in Kohli’s career though, which has often embittered his relationship with the Indian media — which cast a scrutinising eye on his relationship with Bollywood actor Anushka Sharma. Things came to quite a head during India’s tour of England in 2014, where Kohli had a nightmarish time against the moving ball — averaging 13.50 in 10 Test innings and not faring any better in the One Day Internationals as well.
Asked how Kohli negotiated that phase of his career — and whether it steeled him to work harder — coach Sharma was solidly in defence of his ward. “Yes, it was tough times for him but then you have also got to give credit to [James] Anderson for the wonderful series he had. Such things do happen with the best of batsmen,” he said.
It was the same year, on ‘Teachers Day’ on September 5, that Sharma was in for a huge surprise from Kohli. “I responded to the door bell to find Virat’s brother [as he was touring then] handing over the keys of a Skoda car to me. He passed his phone to me and Virat said it was a gift and wished me Happy Teacher’s Day. It was an extremely emotional moment for me and my family,” signed off Sharma.
