New Delhi: It is well documented fact that Rajkumar Sharma’s contribution in Virat Kohli’s progression from a precocious talent to a world-class batsman has been immense.
A strict disciplinarian, the ‘Guru’ did become emotional on 2014 ‘Teacher’s Day’ by a gesture from his ‘Shishya’ which he would never be able to forget.
The book ‘Driven’ written by veteran sports journalist Vijay Lokapally recalls one such overwhelming incident.
The author quoting Rajkumar has written: “I answered the bell and found Vikas (Virat’s elder brother) at the door. His brother’s arrival at my house so early in the day was cause for concern. Vikas stepped into the house, dialled a number and handed his cellphone to me. ‘Happy Teacher’s Day Sir,’ said Virat, even as Vikas thrust something into my palms – a bunch of keys.”
Rajkumar stood perplexed as Vikas requested him to step out of his house. A gleaming Skoda Rapid was parked at the gate – a gift from Virat to his mentor.
“It was not merely because he had gifted me the car. It was because of his emotional touch to the process of reminding me how much he treasured our association, and valued the role of a teacher in his life,” said Rajkumar.
Now, everybody knows that Virat’s nickname is ‘Chikoo’. The author in his book mentions how Virat got the name.
The author writes: “The Delhi team was playing a Ranji Trophy match in Mumbai. One evening, he returned to the hotel with his hair nicely cropped. ‘How is it?’ he asked excitedly as he ran into a couple of younger colleagues. ‘Not bad, you look like a Chikoo (Sapodilla)’, joked Ajit Chowdhary, the assistant coach looking from a distance. The name struck. Virat didn’t mind it all.”
Press Trust of India