IN A LITTLE LEAGUE OF HIS OWN
He always woke up early, prepared thoroughly for matches, and never missed practice sessions... he showed the kind of self-discipline I didn't think someone of his age could ever show
- Vikas Kohli, Virat's brother
A PODGY LITTLE BOY, JUST NINE YEARS OLD, trudged into the newly opened West Delhi Cricket Academy at his father's insistence.
He was one among thousands of boys who were part of the burgeoning cricket academy culture in the capital. This academy culture was far different from what it used to be just a few decades before, when you could actually count the number of good imIndian crickey academies on your fingertips.
It was natural that coach Rajkumar Sharma accept the boy as he would take care of the budding cricketer. But it did not take long for Sharma to realize that this boy was born to play cricket and his talent demanded that he be given due care and attentiom. The power and timing of the little boy's strokes impressed Sharma and he was sure that within six months he would be mentoring and pushing this child to achiece his pitential.
It would be just a matter of time before the name Virat kohli would be known far and wide.
Born on November 5, 1988, to Prem and Saroj Kohli, Virat grew up in Delhi, in the Shankar Garden area. He studied in low profile schools like Vishal Bharti and Savier Convent while attending the West Delhi Cricket Academy at St. Sophia School, in Paschim Vihar.
His older siblings, Vikas and sister Bhavna, constantly encouraged Virat to be better at his game, as did his loving parents, but when ot came to cricket and any emotional decisions connected to the game, it was to Sharma that Virat went to for advice.
Virat also liked playing tennis, but his hero in sports had to be a cricketer and who better in tje '90 than Sachin Tendulkar? Sharing the pitch with Tendulkar had been Virats's fantasy and he admitted later that it was rather unbelievable, even disconcerting, to share space with the great Sachin Tendulkar, because young Virat did not know how to behave in his hero's presence!
He was different because he could play long innings even when he was very young❤
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