3 unknown people who played a role in Virat Kohli's success
Indisputably, one of India's all-time greats, Virat Kohli has been a household name among cricket fans for over a decade now. With over 24,500 runs in international cricket, the senior Team India batter has shattered multiple records for fun.
Virat's success today is a result of his diligence and extreme hard work. Hailing from a middle-class family in Delhi, he struggled during his early days, especially due to his aggressive and gung-ho attitude.
Every once in a while there comes a great personality who changes the definition of a word.
Virat Kohli redefined the meaning of a cricketer for this generation.
His greatness is unmatched neither are his achievements.
Wishing the King of cricket, a very Happy Birthday! 🎂🇮🇳 https://t.co/VDNgw80R6X
However, few individuals supported him in being the same and had faith in his capabilities.
The advice and support for any budding sportsperson lays the foundation in him/her in terms of values, strength and determination. The same was the case with Virat as well.
Along with Virat himself, there were a few more people, who stood by him through his career's ups and downs. He would have been hard-pressed to achieve what he has already achieved without these folks' assistance, counsel, and company.
On that note, let's take a look at three such unknown people who played a role in former Indian skipper Virat Kohli's success.
#1 Parents - Premnath Kohli and Saroj Kohli
"He (My father) hasn't seen me Play for India. Now with our daughter, I see the happiness in my mother's face. You sit down and think, what if he was here." - Virat Kohli ❤️ https://t.co/KHdR62t9hL
Virat has always talked about his parents' sacrifices and has been greatly affected by them. In fact, Virat's father had always wanted him to play cricket. His father Prem Kohli, a lawyer by trade, ascertained that his 8-year-old son should enroll in a cricket academy. The young Virat was picked up from his cricket practice and dropped off at school by Prem Kohli.
Saroj, Virat's mother, was a devoted homemaker who would take care of the home and her three kids.
At one point, Virat was amassing runs at the U-13 level but was not chosen for the Delhi team. The youngster became battle-hardened. He would watch as his parents managed their finances while ensuring their kids had every convenience. The passing of Prem Kohli on December 19, 2006, had a significant impact on Virat.
Virat's first ever tattoo was dedicated to his parents when he got "Prem" and "Saroj" inked on his body.
#2 Childhood coach - Rajkumar Sharma
kohli's new post
on Teacher's day for his coach
Rajkumar Sharma
@imVkohli https://t.co/8otMlavb99
When he was nine years old in 1998, Virat Kohli enrolled in the West Delhi Cricket Academy. The academy's founder and head coach Rajkumar Sharma took the young Virat under his tutelage. Virat was a bright, curious boy in Rajkumar's memory who oozed brilliance.
Virat thought that playing with kids his own age did not excite him, therefore he would constantly urge Rajkumar to let him play with senior players.
After the Delhi lad felt disheartened for not being able to get selected in the state team despite racking up good numbers at age level, Rajkumar advised Kohli to convert his hundreds into double and triple tons.
He took this counsel seriously and began breaking school cricket records. At the age of 15, Atul Wassan eventually chose him for the Delhi side.
The coveted Dronacharya Award was given to Rajkumar Sharma in recognition of his efforts in the growth, development, and nurturing of the young cricket prodigy who has since become a legend.
#3 Throwdown specialist - Raghu
We have improved against fast bowling due to Raghu, says Virat Kohli on throwdown specialist dlvr.it/RWwlnD https://t.co/xytzQq8XpL
While Indian team staff member D Raghvendra (also known as Raghu)might not have influenced Kohli to the same extent as his parents and coach have, he has certainly helped Kohli in his batting.
Throwdown specialist D Raghavendra's ability to rachet up speeds in excess of 150-155 kmph with the sidearm has enormously contributed to Kohli's improvement against fast bowling.
Kohli himself admitted that Raghu has helped Team India to enhance their skills while facing quicker bowlers.
During a live session with Bangladeshi cricketer Tamim Iqbal in 2020, Kohli disclosed that:
"I believe the improvement this team has shown while playing fast bowling since 2013 has been because of Raghu."
"He has good concepts about footwork, bat movement of players. He has improved his skills so much that from sidearm he easily hurls the balls at 155 kmph. After playing Raghu in nets, when you go into the match, you feel there is a lot of time,” Kohli added.
Even back in 2017 after the ICC Champions Trophy, Kohli addressed the media by saying that Raghu's contribution has been immense. While speaking in a press conference, the 34-year-old said:
"The success of a batsman does not get much significance for those who work for him behind the scenes. But I believe that especially Raghu has made me very strong by practicing on the speed of 140 km"
It was Sachin Tendulkar who discovered Raghu's true potential when he came to meet the master blaster in Mumbai. Raghu has been a vital part of the Indian support staff since 2011.