Moments that changed virat kohli,s career
NEW DELHI: A power-packed throw from the boundary that rifled into the wicket-keeper's gloves and a nonchalant flick over midwicket that sailed for a six - these were two moments that convinced coach Raj Kumar Sharma and his assistant Suresh Batra that the nine-year-old boy was a talent of the finest pedigree, says a new biography of India's brightest cricket star Virat Kohli.
Virat was brought by his father Prem to train in Raj Kumar Sharma's coaching clinic, West Delhi Cricket Academy. The date: May 30, 1998. Interestingly as the book points out, "the common thread that runs between (Virender) Sehwag, (Gautam) Gambhir, Ashish Nehra, Shikhar Dhawan, Ishant Sharma and Virat is that all of them hail from West Delhi, an area in the national capital where the struggle for space and recognition is that much more intense."
At first glance, Raj Kumar didn't find anything special about the nine-year-old 'chubby' kid. "He was like most other boys; restless, enthusiastic, keen to get a stint in the nets. We really hadn't seen anything extraordinary," recounts Raj Kumar, an off-spinner in his playing days, in the book.
His opinion altered soon after. Two incidents shaped the change in his estimation. The coach recalls, "I remember vividly. He produced a throw that made heads turn. He was just nine, but the accuracy and power in that throw gave an indication that he had one quality - the feel for the game - and we lost no time in concentrating on Virat."
"His assistant Suresh Batra was also stunned by the boy's powerful return from the boundary that had thundered into the wicket-keeper's gloves," writes journalist Vijay Lokapally in the biography, Driven: The Virat Kohli Story.
Shortly, there was another serendipitous moment. Within a few days of reporting at the WDCA, Virat was playing an under-14 game at the Springdales school. The coaches were left speechless by a six by Virat which bore the stamp of class. "We were playing against Playmakers Academy, and it was a matting pitch. This boy casually picked the ball of his legs, and sent it soaring over mid-wicket. For someone who was not even ten, it was a tremendous shot to play," said Batra.
That match convinced Raj Kumar and Batra that this was a naturally gifted youngster waiting to be honed properly, writes Lokapally in the book.
Virat was brought by his father Prem to train in Raj Kumar Sharma's coaching clinic, West Delhi Cricket Academy. The date: May 30, 1998. Interestingly as the book points out, "the common thread that runs between (Virender) Sehwag, (Gautam) Gambhir, Ashish Nehra, Shikhar Dhawan, Ishant Sharma and Virat is that all of them hail from West Delhi, an area in the national capital where the struggle for space and recognition is that much more intense."
At first glance, Raj Kumar didn't find anything special about the nine-year-old 'chubby' kid. "He was like most other boys; restless, enthusiastic, keen to get a stint in the nets. We really hadn't seen anything extraordinary," recounts Raj Kumar, an off-spinner in his playing days, in the book.
His opinion altered soon after. Two incidents shaped the change in his estimation. The coach recalls, "I remember vividly. He produced a throw that made heads turn. He was just nine, but the accuracy and power in that throw gave an indication that he had one quality - the feel for the game - and we lost no time in concentrating on Virat."
"His assistant Suresh Batra was also stunned by the boy's powerful return from the boundary that had thundered into the wicket-keeper's gloves," writes journalist Vijay Lokapally in the biography, Driven: The Virat Kohli Story.
Shortly, there was another serendipitous moment. Within a few days of reporting at the WDCA, Virat was playing an under-14 game at the Springdales school. The coaches were left speechless by a six by Virat which bore the stamp of class. "We were playing against Playmakers Academy, and it was a matting pitch. This boy casually picked the ball of his legs, and sent it soaring over mid-wicket. For someone who was not even ten, it was a tremendous shot to play," said Batra.
That match convinced Raj Kumar and Batra that this was a naturally gifted youngster waiting to be honed properly, writes Lokapally in the book.
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