New Delhi: It didn’t take long for Virat Kohli to realise that talent alone will never be enough to realise his true potential. Before he took the international stage by storm, Kohli was already the talk of the town in Delhi age-group cricket, emerging as the highest run-scorer in his first year in junior cricket, before smashing 390 runs at an average of 78, including two centuries, as captain of the U-15 team the following season.
Towards the end of 2004, Kohli was selected for the 2004-2005 Vijay Merchant Trophy in the Delhi U-17 team under the coaching of Ajit Chowdhary.
Chowdhary, who took Kohli under his wings first in U-17 cricket and then in Ranji Trophy, spoke exclusively to News9, hours after Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket. The legendary cricketer called time on his 14-year-long Test career, confirming the news through an Instagram post, marking an end to a glorious chapter in Indian cricket.
Chowdhary recollects the time when a chubby boy, rising through the ranks in age-group cricket, left a lasting impression on him with some sensational performances in his first year in U-17 cricket.
“I trained him in the U-17 team for the first time in 2005. At that time, the matches used to be played at the North Zone level. In his first match against Punjab, he scored 254 runs at Patiala, coming into bat when the team was 70-odd runs for the loss of five wickets. He continued his form and helped the team qualify for the knockouts in Calcutta. In the semi-final against Baroda, he scored 235 runs,” Chowdhary told News9.
Kohli’s dominance in age-group cricket
In his first season in U-17 cricket, Kohli scored close to 500 runs in four matches, including two double centuries.
A season later, Chowadhary got the chance to work with Kohli again in 2007 when he was appointed as the Delhi Ranji team’s assistant coach, and Kohli broke into the team on the back of remarkable performances in junior cricket.
“In 2007, I was appointed as the Ranji Trophy team’s assistant coach. Vijay Dahiya was our chief. We ended a long wait of winning the Ranji Trophy that year. He (Kohli) didn’t play a lot because he was selected for the South Africa tour in the U-19 team. I remember there was a match against Bombay. He scored 50-odd runs in that match. He carried the U-17 form to the Ranji Trophy and was selected in the U-19 team,” Chowdhary recalled.
During his two stints with Kohli, one thing became clear to Chowdhary: Kohli was destined for greatness.
The transition to Ranji Trophy and beyond
Beneath the supremely talented young cricketer was a typical West Delhi boy, who loved to play cricket and eat North Indian food, extremely rich and flavourful but not ideal for the high-performance needs of cricketers. A chubby Kohli was a living proof of the fact.
But performing in domestic cricket is one thing, and performing at an international level is another. As compared to domestic cricket, fitness is more crucial on the international stage due to the higher intensity, level of quality and increased competition among several other reasons.
Kohli realised that very early in his international career.
“When Virat was young, he didn’t have a fitness issue. But he wasn’t very fit. But when he reached the Indian team, he set a fitness level. He created a system of competition between them. Today, people give the example of Virat when they talk about fitness in cricket. The fitness that he has achieved is amazing. That is commendable. And young cricketers should also learn from him. His fitness has played a major role in his career. He played till the age of 36. That says a lot about his attitude,” added Chowdhary.
FILE photo of Virat Kohli during his early days in cricket. (Getty Images)
Widely known for his unwavering passion both on and off the field, Kohli showed intense competitiveness in the relentless pursuit of excellence and used dedication to fitness and hard work as his main tools.
Chowdhary recalls how Kohli’s passion for cricket was evident from his young days when he used to get upset after noticing the coaching staff’s inattentiveness towards his batting during net sessions.
“He had the passion to play and wanted the coaching staff to keep the attention on him. Sometimes he would point out and say, Sir, you hit such a great shot, did you see it? So I said, yes, I saw it. He wanted the attention of all the support staff, coaches. The hunger for commitment and performance was there from the beginning,” Chowdhary added.
Chowdhary goes on to talk about the Ranji season when Kohli rubbed shoulders with stalwarts like Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Shikhar Dhawan, Mithun Manhas and Rajat Bhatia, and described how not making the playing XI would upset him.
“In one of the league matches during the 2007 season in Maharashtra, all the big players like Sehwag, Gambhir, Mithun Minhas, Rajat Bhatia, and Shikhar Dhawan were part of the squad, and he wasn’t picked in the team. So, he was a little depressed and asked me about his absence.
“I told him that this is not U-17 cricket; here in the Ranji Trophy, the competition is at a high level. Four international players are playing with you. I also told him that if you get a chance, take it. So in the next match, we faced Karnataka in Bengaluru, and he scored 180 runs,” Chowdhary recalls.
Fitness and mental fortitude: Pillars of Kohli’s success
The hunger and eagerness to prove himself on the big stage were ingrained in Kohli’s DNA in his formative years, which shaped his international career.
He would retire as India’s fourth-highest run-getter in Tests and the fourth-highest century-scorer in red-ball cricket. In 123 Tests for India, Kohli scored 9230 runs with 30 hundreds at an average of 46.85.
It’s ironic how Kohli announced his arrival in junior cricket by scoring two double hundreds in his first year in the U-17 age group and signed off with the most double hundreds (7) in Tests by an Indian batter, thus completing a full circle.
Delhi player Virat Kohli during a practice session at Karnail Singh Stadium on October 31, 2010, in New Delhi, India. (Getty Images)
Kohli’s impact is far beyond the incredible stats and numbers. He influenced Indian cricket by prioritising fitness and instilling a winning mentality. His never-back-down approach changed the way Indian cricket was perceived, emphasising aggression and hunger to win, irrespective of conditions and opposition.
Besides gaining worldwide fame for his heroic performances on the cricket field, Kohli also gained popularity due to his nickname “Chiku”. It was Chowdhary who gave Kohli this nickname during a Ranji match in the 2006-07 season.
Yes, I named him Chiku. This was during the 2006-07 Ranji season. We had a match from Bombay. It was a high-profile match. So, he came to me in the evening, and I looked at him and told him, You look different. He said, Sir, I got a haircut.
He asked me: Sir, how do I look? I said, Your hair has become short. Your ears look big. You look like Chiku the rabbit from Champak comics.
After that, I don’t think anyone called him Virat Kohli throughout the season. Everyone called him Chiku. And the rest is history.
In an exclusive interaction with News9, Virat Kohli’s U-17 and Ranji coach Ajit Chowdhary opened up on Virat Kohli’s illustrious career by highlighting his early success in U-17 cricket and his rise through Ranji Trophy. He also spoke about Kohli’s unwavering passion and competitiveness, evident even in his youth, which became crucial elements in his journey to becoming a Test cricket legend. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
