Virat Kohli never crosses the line between aggression and misbehaviour, says his childhood coach

Virat Kohli’s childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma has come out in defence of his ward in the wake of the India captain’s controversial behaviour in the second Test against New Zealand. Kohli not only flopped with the bat in the challenging series but also invited more criticism, thanks to his outbursts on the field.

On the second day of the match in Christchurch when India’s bowlers put the team in front, the captain was at his animated best. Kohli let the emotions get the better of him once again and ended up hurling abuses. After the dismissal of his New Zealand counterpart Kane Williamson, he appeared to yell cuss words.

Kohli also lashed out at the spectators and was seen saying ‘shut the f**k up’ to them. Unsurprisingly, he is facing the heat for his on-field behaviour. However, Rajkumar Sharma has defended Kohli’s actions, saying that aggression is the player’s strength. He also insisted that Kohli never crosses the line between aggression and misbehaviour.

“When he (Kohli) is doing well with the same aggression for the country, then everyone appreciates. I have always believed that yes, aggression is his strength, but there is a thin line between aggression and ‘battamizi’ (misbehaviour). He never crosses that line, and he should not. Aggression pumps him up to do well,” Sharma told a group of reporters on Tuesday as quoted by the Times of India.

Rajkumar Sharma opines on Virat Kohli’s current form

Virat Kohli had a forgettable tour of New Zealand where he managed just 218 runs with a lone fifty in 9 games (4T20Is, three ODIs, two Tests). In the four innings of the Test series, the world number one ODI batsman and number two Test batsman managed to score just 38 runs. Speaking about that, Sharma said that there is nothing to worry and backed Kohli to bounce back against South Africa in the upcoming ODI series.

“Every player goes through a lean patch. There is something called the law of averages in cricket. Maybe, that has caught up. There is nothing to worry about. He is too good a player and he knows where it is going wrong. We have already discussed that. He will be back,” the 54-year-old coach said.

“He is a magnificent player. In the upcoming (ODI) series (against South Africa), he will show what he is capable of,” Sharma asserted.