When Virat Kohli was talented, restless but not famous
Virat was born to play cricket. "And born to lead," insisted Raj Kumar (Virat Kohli's coach).
From the day he played his first match for the WDCA, Virat appointed himself as the leader. "He would become captain and call the shots. Even his seniors would marvel at his reading of the game," said Kumar.
When the regular bowlers would struggle, he would offer his wicket-taking abilities. Virat would announce that he would get the set batsman out and believe me he would get him out.
"I can't forget his first day at the WDCA. That throw from the boundary, flat into the wicketkeeper's gloves, had startled us. Such a powerful arm at nine years of age! But here he was demonstrating all-round abilities and showing leadership skills. He was not even 15 when he showed skills at captaincy," said Kumar.
Raj Kumar can also never forget the day when his ward was mocked at by the under-15 state selectors. Raj Kumar had played along a couple of them. He was obviously hurt when they dismissed Virat as just another youngster from the stables of Delhi's club cricket.
"Virat was in tears and I really felt for the boy. He had done everything possible to merit a selection, but Delhi had some very exacting standards and not always cricketing ones," Raj Kumar lamented.
Crestfallen
The crestfallen and exasperated Virat, unable to comprehend the reasons for his exclusion from the state under-15 team, received a warm and encouraging pat from former India captain Bishan Singh Bedi, who happened to be at the Feroze Shah Kotla as coach of the Delhi Ranji Trophy team.
It was the first time Raj Kumar had raised his voice at a fellow cricketer and the two state junior selectors responsible for keeping him out were acutely embarrassed when Virat earned selection next year by scoring heavily in the local grade.
At one point, Raj Kumar, in a dilemma, had contemplated shifting Virat to another state, but was stopped from making that move by some prudent seniors.
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Virat's fervour to make it big did not stop at getting into the state under-15 squad. He now wanted a contract with a bat manufacturer and Raj Kumar had a task at hand.
Virat would nag him until one day the coach sent him to BDM, a renowned brand based in Meerut. "He is too young for a contract. Are you sure he will go the distance?" asked a representative of the company. "He is a good investment," Raj Kumar assured the BDM official.
"You sign the boy and I promise you, it will be a long and fruitful association," assured Raj Kumar. "He stayed with BDM for a while even after playing for India. I am glad he proved my judgment right."
The biggest challenge for Raj Kumar was to keep Virat calm. He was like a storm looming large on the field and threatening to sweep them all. He was restless even when he excelled because if he got a fifty, Virat would visualise a century as if by right.
It was tough to keep Virat glued to his seat. If the opposition got out cheaply, Virat wanted to go in early and finish the game. "What if I did not get to bat," was his innocent query to the coach.
Involved
Always slotted at No 4, Virat had this tendency to pad up along with the openers. If he got out, he never took off the pads until the contest was over.
He hated losing his wicket and had to be constantly involved, conveying his message by keeping his pads on. Mistakes were always dealt with a firm hand by Raj Kumar.
"I did not simply stop at scolding him. A few hard slaps have sometimes worked well," said Raj Kumar, who has been more of a father figure than a coach for Virat.
Raj Kumar has had a huge influence on Virat. The making of Virat was a process that also marked Raj Kumar's evolution as a coach. His rapport with Virat was impeccable.
"I can read his mind. He also knows what goes on in my mind. I have set certain benchmarks for him and he meets them. Sometimes they are about hitting centuries or winning matches. We have worked countless hours on technique and temperament, and he has responded beautifully."
(Reprinted with publisher's permission and courtesy of Mail Today.)