'Virat Kohli threw his bat again...' - Lalchand Rajput shares stunning revelations from Indian dressing room | Exclusive

The UAE men's cricket team's head coach, Lalchand Rajput, has shaped many careers and also worked with Virat Kohli when the latter played age-group cricket for India. During those formative years, Rajput witnessed a side of Kohli that is not widely documented.

On the latest episode of the Mr Cricket UAE podcast, Rajput shared insights into how a young Kohli, driven by an intense desire to make a name for himself, would get agitated every time he got out, whether he scored 70 or 120.

"He used to, when we went to England and were playing a Test match there, bat very well, scoring 70s and 80s before throwing his bat away," said Rajput. "I think I have mentioned this before as well. He would be so upset with himself, saying, 'Sir, I missed my century today.' So, I told him once or twice that throwing the bat away would not get him a century. He went back out in the middle and scored a century. He got out after making 120. Then he came back and threw his bat again. 'I missed my 150 today.'"

Rajput revealed that Kohli always had a tremendous appetite for runs and placed immense value on his wicket, much like former India captain Sachin Tendulkar.

"So, I could see that hunger. In one match, he got out for 157 and missed his double century. I said, 'No man, he will become a player,' because he never wanted to give his wicket away; he valued his wicket. When a batsman values his wicket, he is like Sachin Tendulkar, he will never throw it away. At that time, I felt that, at such a young age, he was never satisfied with the runs he had scored.

"We often say that you should have hunger, not for food but for runs, and he had that hunger. He was never satisfied. Even after scoring 100, he was not satisfied; after scoring 150, he was not satisfied. More importantly, while chasing, he always wanted to stay not out," Rajput added.

Kohli went on to lead India to the 2008 ICC Men's U19 World Cup title in Malaysia and has since established himself as arguably the greatest ODI batter of all time. The right-hander has now set his sights on the 2027 ODI World Cup in southern Africa, with the goal of helping India reclaim the coveted trophy.