Virat Kohli backed by childhood coach to break Sachin Tendulkar's records

Sharma feels Kohli has all the qualities and dedication necessary to surpass Tendulkar’s achievements

Rajkumar Sharma, a former Ranji Trophy cricketer and founder of the West Delhi Cricket Academy, where Virat Kohli learned the basics of the game, has backed his star disciple to break many of the records held by the batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar, Times of India reports. 

Kohli’s breathtaking run of form in 2016 has seen him being compared to the Indian batting legend by many, but according to Sharma, the 27-year-old has all the attributes necessary to not just equal but even surpass the feats achieved by Tendulkar. 

"He is in sublime form at the moment. I don't remember anyone playing for India being as consistent as Kohli. Even internationally, there won't be many who have shown the consistency Kohli has shown. With the way he is batting, he is very much capable of breaking Sachin's records," Sharma said. 

"What separates him from the rest is the self-belief in his ability. He backs his ability and the way he adapts to different conditions against different opposition is very good and it is a very important reason why he is successful. And he is always hungry for runs."

Sharma feels that Kohli’s terrible outing against England in 2014, when he failed to register even a single half-century in 5 Tests, has turned out to be a blessing in disguise as it allowed him to iron out his flaws and become an even better batsman. 

"England tour was a bad patch and every player goes through that phase. After that, he worked very hard on his game and the result of that you saw in Australia, the World T20 and now the IPL,” he said. “England tour was a rough phase as I said. But it is not a Test for the future as I am very sure he would dominate the next time he is there."

Kohli’s dedication is second to none

Sharma feels that Kohli has worked really hard to be in the position he is in now and also sees Kohli as a matured guy with controlled aggression, compared to his earlier days. 

“Aggression has always been his strength. The only thing is that he should not be over aggressive and cross the line. He was a bit immature earlier but now he is a matured guy, and what you seeing on the field these days is controlled aggression. He has got a very good head on his shoulders," Sharma said. 

"He prepares very well. Hard work everyone does but he does smart work with hard work. For example, everyone goes back to their rooms after practice but he goes back and spends an hour or two in the gym. He has strict control over his diet even though he is very much a foodie. He eats only boiled and grilled stuff along with fruits. He loves to eat. It is just that he is avoiding fats and sugar," said Sharma.

Kohli should wait for Dhoni to step down, says Sharma

Having his say on the recent comments by former Team India manager Ravi Shastri that the time has come for limited-overs skipper MS Dhoni to relinquish his crown and let Kohli be the skipper in all three formats, Sharma said Kohli should ideally wait for the 34-year-old to make his own call rather than forcing him to step down. 

"He (Kohli) has shown his leadership quality but I would say Dhoni is a tremendous captain. So let him continue till the time he wants to continue and Virat will take over when the times comes," Sharma said.