The former India skipper has been in vintage form and though his heroics have not only been witnessed against Pakistan, that 53-ball 82 not out at the Melbourne Cricket Ground remains a talking point. The highlight was his stroke over pacer Haris Rauf’s head for a big six
Coach Rajkumar Sharma poses in front of Virat Kohli’s 20-foot mural prepared by fans at Bandra (West). Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
Cricket legend Virat Kohli’s childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma flew from Delhi to Mumbai on Saturday to celebrate his ward’s 34th birthday. Sharma among other sporting names was at Bandra (West), where fans prepared a 20-foot mural of Kohli’s face by using 5,000 balls.
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The birthday celebrations couldn’t have been timed better since Kohli has emerged the toast of the T20 World Cup in Australia.
The former India skipper has been in vintage form and though his heroics have not only been witnessed against Pakistan, that 53-ball 82 not out at the Melbourne Cricket Ground remains a talking point. The highlight was his stroke over pacer Haris Rauf’s head for a big six.
When Sunday mid-day asked Sharma what he was thinking when he saw that particular shot, the coach said: “It was unbelievable. I was shocked seeing that shot. When I asked him [Kohli] about it, he said: ‘Sir, bas lag hi gaya’ [I managed to hit it].
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“It’s very difficult to repeat that shot. It’s a one of a kind stroke. Those who saw it will remember it for the rest of their lives. It’s a very, very difficult shot, especially against a pacer like Rauf, who was bowling at 145-150kmph. The ball wasn’t that short, and the straight boundary was also very long. So, to hit a six like that was tremendous.”
Sharma was speaking on the sidelines of the Puma event at Carter Road in Bandra. He credited Kohli’s technique and perfect execution.
Kohli has 24,350 international runs under his belt from 477 games across three formats, but he has had his share of struggles off late. “His [Kohli] form had not gone anywhere. It was not that he was not making runs at all. He wasn’t able to match up to the expectations that he sets for himself. People expect a lot from him, which is good. Fortunately, he’s peaking at the right time again and playing some good cricket for India. I hope that he continues to play in the same way and wins the World Cup for India,” said Sharma, who expects Kohli to play for another five years.
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