Who is Rajkumar Sharma? Delhi appoint veteran coach to head beleaguered domestic team

Former first-class player, Rajkumar Sharma has been named as the new head coach of the Delhi Ranji team for the 2020-21 domestic season. The 55-year-old is popularly known as Virat Kohli's childhood coach. He was also associated with the Delhi team in the previous season as a bowling coach. However, Sharma has replaced KP Bhaskar as the head coach for the upcoming season. Let's look at who is Rajkumar Sharma, and why is he rated so highly.

Virat Kohli coach: Who is Rajkumar Sharma? 

Rajkumar Sharma is a known name in the coaching circuit and had earned a reputation of being a pioneer at his job. Apart from his stints with the Delhi domestic team, he was also the childhood coach of India captain Virat Kohli. He had founded the West Delhi Cricket Academy in 1988, and Virat Kohli was a part of the same academy. Sharma was associated with the Uttarakhand Ranji Trophy team as their head coach last season.  Moreover, he has also served as the head coach for the India A women's team, as well as Delhi's U-23 team. 

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Rajkumar Sharma's name was put forward by Delhi & District Cricket Association's (DDCA) recently appointed Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC). Taking a cue from The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), DDCA has announced their Advisory committee. Atul Wassan is the chairperson of the CAC, whereas the other two members include Parvinder Awana and Robin Singh Jr. 

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The 55-year-old is also a recipient of the Dronacharya Award and has enjoyed several successful coaching stints in his career. He will be hoping to have a memorable run with the Delhi team. He will be keen to identify special talents from the domestic circuit and groom them for international cricket. Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan Ishant Sharma and Navdeep Saini are among the Delhi cricketers who are a regular feature in the Indian team as well. The Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy 2020 is set to being from January 1, 2021, and we may see the likes of Shikhar Dhawan and Ishant Sharma taking the field for the Delhi team.

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Virat Kohli centuries in international cricket 

The cricketer has smashed 70 centuries across formats in international cricket since his debut in 2008. He also is currently the third leading century-maker in world cricket, behind the likes of Sachin Tendulkar (100) and Ricky Ponting (71). The number of Virat Kohli centuries in ODI cricket stands at 43, whereas he also has 27 Test tons to his name. 

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Rajkumar Sharma has been instrumental in shaping the batsman's career, and Virat Kohli also has often given credit to him for the same. It could prove to be a great opportunity for youngsters of the Delhi side, to learn the vital nuances of the sport under Virat Kohli's coach. 

Image source: Rajkumar Sharma Instagram