Kohli may have tasted success at the top level, but the former Indian skipper has shown a perfect example of sticking to his roots.
Ahead of Royal Challengers Bangalore IPL 2023 against the Delhi Capitals at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday, Kohli walked over to Sharma and touched his feet in a touching gesture.
“Healthy meet and greet. @imVkohli joins his childhood coach,” IPL tweeted.
Sharma recently spoke about Kohli’s fearless and passionate attitude in the latest episode of RCB Bold Diaries in which he recounted an incident from his junior days when Virat stood up to his mother and the coach’s advice to face much bigger players bigger than him despite being hit in the chest with the ball at the West Delhi academy.
“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 the others, a very active and very naughty boy. He was determined and dedicated and wanted to dominate from the first day. He had tremendous self-confidence that he could do anything,” Kohli Sharma’s childhood coach revealed.
“Junior teammates could never get Virat out, so he came to me and told me 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. Although he was once hit in the chest, he told his mother that I will play with the elders only what happens. He is special and has a divine talent. He played boldly from an early age” Sharma added.
The coach also recalled a special moment he shared with Virat Kohli. “When Virat Kohli became the captain in all formats, he called me and said ‘Sir, I was coming on my bike holding my kit bag at the front, so we didn’t think I would get here’ – It was a very emotional moment,” he revealed.
