Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai) - Live
Relaxed mind behind Kohli’s resurgence, says childhood coach
MUMBAI: More than the volume of runs and value of contributions from Virat Kohli in this T20 World Cup, it’s the return of his free-flowing self with the willow that has stood out.
That he has broken the shackles in this World Cup after a couple of subdued years—to go with his 220 runs and three matchwinning fifties in four matches— is down to a more relaxed mind, felt Kohli’s childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma. A few months ago, the former India captain took a break from international cricket before returning for the Asia Cup and hitting prime form again in Australia.
“He’s more relaxed now. The good thing was that he took that break. He was playing a lot of cricket, and he wanted to relax a bit. That’s exactly what he did— took some time for himself, spent time with his family,” said Sharma here on the sidelines of Kohli’s birthday celebrations by creating a mural of Kohli’s face using 5,000 cricket balls.
“He is very fresh now, and whenever he’s fresh, his preparation is really good. He has worked hard for this World Cup and that is showing on the ground.”
That six off Haris Rauf in the penultimate ball of the 19th over against Pakistan—crunching a back of a length ball straight back with a straight bat—was a “one-of-a-kind shot” for his childhood coach.
“Those who saw that shot will remember it for the rest of their lives. It was unbelievable. I was shocked too. When I asked him about it, he also said, ‘Sir, bas lag hi gaya’ (Sir, it just happened),” Sharma said.
“It’s a very, very difficult shot, especially against a pacer like Rauf, who was bowling at 145150kmph. The ball wasn’t that short, and the straight boundary was also long. So, to hit a six like that was tremendous.”