Former India coach Lalchand Rajput, now the coach of the UAE cricket team, has had a ringside view of two of India’s modern greats, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. In a recent conversation, he reflected on what made these players special right from their youth days and how they evolved into stalwarts of the game.
Kohli’s Relentless Hunger
Rajput first saw Virat Kohli with the India U19 team and immediately spotted something rare, an insatiable hunger for runs. While many batters feel satisfied after reaching a century, Kohli was visibly upset if he missed out on converting those into 150s or 200s. Rajput recalled that kind of determination as a trait seen in Mumbai’s famed batting school, the refusal to give up one’s wicket easily.
He shared a telling memory from a tour of Pakistan, when Kohli, furious after getting out for 79, threw his bat in the dressing room in frustration. Rajput firmly told him that the bat was a cricketer’s most prized possession and that aggression needed to be channeled into scoring runs. From then on, Rajput noted, Kohli never repeated that mistake, instead turning his anger into performances that have defined his career.
Rohit’s Fearless Approach
When it comes to Rohit Sharma, Rajput underlined a different quality. He acknowledged the Mumbai batting culture of grit but described Rohit’s brand of cricket as something more modern: fearless. With the rise of T20 cricket, Rohit embodied the new aggression where even the first ball could be dispatched for six if it was in his zone. Rajput said this attitude marked a sharp contrast from the cricket of the 1990s and early 2000s, where consolidation was the norm.
Rohit’s talent, combined with his ability to dominate across formats, has set him apart as one of the most destructive openers in the world. Rajput credited his approach for redefining India’s limited-overs batting.
A Coach’s Reflection
From a young, fiery Kohli learning to control his emotions to Rohit ushering in a fearless brand of cricket, Rajput has seen both journeys unfold from close quarters. His anecdotes highlight not just technical skills but also the mindset that separates great players from good ones.
