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Time of India
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
'There's only one Sachin Tendulkar and there's only one Virat Kohli': Mark Boucher
Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. (Photo by) When we talk about Virat Kohli , Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and dressing room stories, one name that immediately comes to mind is AB de Villiers , given the kind of bond they have shared over the years. But last week, everyone was in for a pleasant surprise when Virat Kohli credited former South African wicketkeeper-batter Mark Boucher for guiding him during the early years of his international and Indian Premier League (IPL) career. "Actually, of all the players I played with initially, Mark Boucher had the biggest impact on me," Kohli told the 'RCB Bold Diaries' podcast. The duo spent three years at RCB. In 2008, Mark Boucher saw Kohli's potential and told him he would be doing a disservice to himself if he failed to make it to the senior Indian team. He took a young 20-year-old under his wings, helped him practice during net sessions and become battle-ready for the bouncy tracks in South Africa and Australia. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! "I just tried to help him in his development at that particular stage. He had everything in his game. I think the one thing we did talk about was the short ball and how to play the short ball," Boucher said in a conversation on Monday (May 12), the day Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket . by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Tap Into Real-Time Signals Designed to Support Your Trading Decisions Trader Headline Learn More Undo "I think the short ball is something that a youngster always gets tested with. I told him, 'Virat, because you're so good off the front foot when the ball's straight, they're going to test you on the back foot when you arrive on the international scene. If you play it well, very quickly they'll go away from bowling short at you'. I just said to him, 'if you arrive on South African shores, we would definitely test you on the short ball knowing that you come from the subcontinent.' The rise and rise of India, Royal Challengers Bengaluru star Virat Kohli "'When you go to Australia, they're definitely going to test you on the short ball because you've come from the subcontinent.' I think my conversations were just trying to help him find his next level and making him aware of what other teams would do to him. From there, he took it upon himself." "He said to me, 'Bach, can you help me?' I was like, 'Yes, absolutely.' I went and served a couple of tennis balls at him, showed him one or two little techniques. I just worked on a couple of things, tried to impart a little bit of my knowledge on playing the short ball, especially coming from South Africa where you get tested quite a bit. File photo of former South Africa keeper Mark Boucher. (ANI) "I did say to him one day, it's not a nice exercise to go into a net and have to work on the short ball because sometimes you do get hurt. Sometimes you get one or two balls around the ears, and it's not nice having to go through that and getting hit on the helmet every now and again. But I think this is where his feistiness and his character came through. He was really eager to become a better cricketer. He really enjoyed the challenge of me hitting tennis balls at his head. We Didn't Know: Kohli's Last Red-Ball Nets Before Test Retirement 💔 "We had a laugh, and it was good fun because I think he trusted that it was coming from a good place from my side. I really enjoyed it because here I am working with someone who at that stage I thought could be the next superstar in Indian cricket. He's lived up to that." Boucher vividly remembers the first time he met Virat and how the "feistiness" in a young Delhi lad caught his attention and reminded him of a younger version of himself. "He was, how do I put it, quite an easy person to speak to. He was very open to listening to people who were older than him and probably more experienced than him. He had a bit – it's difficult to say attitude because attitude comes across the wrong way – but he had a character that he was quite feisty and out there. He loved to be competitive, which I really enjoyed about him because I think I was probably similar when I was a youngster," recalls Boucher. "What did stand out was his talent that he had, and if you've got talent and you've got character that comes with it and the feistiness to want to succeed, I think it's always a recipe for success," he adds. A young Virat made the most out of Boucher's experience and their initial conversations continued to revolve around cricket. The former cricketer still remembers the chat they had on the art of playing spin, and how it left a lasting impression on Boucher. "I actually chatted to him a lot about spin bowling and how Indian cricketers play spin bowling to try and pick his brain a bit on how they develop from a very young age and what sort of techniques they have to counter the spinning ball," he says. "I actually remember the conversation that we had, and it went along the lines of, I just said, 'Virat, you're very talented and you're very young.' You've got the IPL ahead of you now. You're probably going to play close to 20 years of IPL cricket. Sachin Tendulkar started off at a very young age as well, and who's to say that you couldn't be the next Sachin Tendulkar?' I didn't know that he was going to take everything this far and sort of create his own legacy." To mention him and Sachin would be doing a disservice to both of them. I think there's only ever one Sachin Tendulkar, and I think there's only ever one Virat Kohli Mark Boucher Over the years, Virat Kohli carried the burden of being the next Sachin Tendulkar but Boucher staunchly believes it is unfair to compare Tendulkar and Kohli. He sums it up with a crisp response: "To mention him and Sachin would be doing a disservice to both of them. I think there's only ever one Sachin Tendulkar, and I think there's only ever one Virat Kohli. Both of them are absolute legends of the game." When it comes to Kohli , a lot of tags have followed him over the years. From being termed arrogant to egoistic, the former India skipper had to deal with a lot of outside noise during his Test career but he managed to deliver the results which were never seen in Indian cricket before. It was under his captaincy that India witnessed a glorious period in Test cricket where they won 40 of the 68 games Kohli led in, losing just 17. The 40 wins made Kohli India's most successful Test captain of all time. File photo of Virat Kohli. (Image credit: X) "When he stepped into the Indian cricket team, the way that he led people, I think sometimes people were saying it was arrogance, but I don't see it as arrogance. I see it as confidence and also a particular guy who's got a little bit of a different attitude to maybe your normal Indian cricketer. He was never going to stand back and be bullied or pushed into a corner by any other cricketer, which is right," says Boucher. "No cricketer should stand back, especially if you're playing for your country. You've earned the right to play for your country, and so has the individual on the other end. There should never be a situation where you feel like you need to be undermined by the opposition. If you can take it, you can give it back. If you give it, you must be able to take it as well. I think Virat was very much like that," he adds. Boucher further explains how that Virat inspired the current generation of cricketers with his "in your face" attitude. The feistiness, fitness and overall dedication have been hallmarks of Kohli's career and it has rubbed off on the future players as well. Poll What aspect of Virat Kohli's career do you admire the most? His competitive spirit His fitness regime His leadership qualities His batting skills "Certainly, he started what the younger generation is now living through as well. They don't stand back for anyone. They're very aggressive. They're in your face. There's a line for everything. You don't want to cross the line or the legality of the game. "But certainly, they go out there, and they don't feel intimidated by anyone. Where maybe in the past, before the Kohli era, maybe there was a little bit of intimidation that crept in. He certainly changed that and changed the way that any young Indian cricketer being brought up in today's world, they're a lot tougher." Virat Kohli drops retirement bombshell | Virat Kohli retires from Test cricket Kohli and his old friend "Bach" continue to be in touch after all these years but the conversations have now moved on from short-pitch bowling to family and fatherhood.
NDTV
08-05-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
Virat Kohli Reveals MS Dhoni's Role Behind His India Debut: "Was Realistic About My..."
Virat Kohli is widely considered to be one of the best batters in modern cricket and over the years, he has established himself as one of the most popular cricketers in the world. Kohli announced his arrival on the international stage by leading India to a U-19 World Cup title and his performances in domestic cricket also attracted the attention of the national selectors. In a recent episode of the 'RCB Bold Diaries' podcast, Virat revealed that he was never considered to be an outright match-winner but it was his determination that led to his debut for the Indian cricket team. He also revealed how he was backed by then captain MS Dhoni and coach Gary Kirsten during the initial days of his international career. 'I was very realistic about my abilities. Because I had seen a lot of other people play. And I did not feel like my game was anywhere close to theirs. The only thing that I had was determination. And if I wanted to make my team win, I was willing to do anything," Kohli said. 'That was the very reason I got chances to play for India initially. And Gary (Kirsten) and MS (Dhoni) made it very clear to me that we are backing you to play at number three." Kohli said the duo encouraged him to play freely without any inhibition or doubt, counting on his never-say-die attitude to help the Indian find his groove and confidence. 'This is what you can do for the team. What you represent on the field, your energy, your engagement, is of the biggest value to us. We want you to play that way. 'So, I was never looked at as this outright match winner who can change the game from anywhere. But I had this thing, I'm going to stay in the fight. I'm not going to give up. And that is what they backed."
News18
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Avneet Kaur Spotted At Wankhede Stadium During MI Vs GT, IPL 2025 Match
Last Updated: Avneet Kaur was spotted in the stands during the MI vs GT clash at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Tuesday. Avneet Kaur was spotted in the stands during the Indian Premier League 2025 fixture between Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The actor was recently involved in a social media controversy when Virat Kohli liked a photo from her Instagram account. The speculation increased when Kohli shared a story clarifying that it was an algorithm error. Her presence at the stadium caused a significant reaction on social media during the match, especially since the drama with the veteran Indian cricketer as well. Kohli had clarified the speculations in a recent Instagram story by saying," I'd like to clarify that while clearing my feed, it appears the algorithm may have mistakenly registered an interaction. There was absolutely no intent behind it. I request that no unnecessary assumptions be made. Thank you for your understanding". Didn't react to the whole Virat Kohli like incident, and came to the stadium to support Rohit truly earned our respect, Avneet Kaur. — Selfless⁴⁵ (@SelflessCricket) May 6, 2025 Despite all the buzz on social media, Virat Kohli seems to be having his best moments with regards to the IPL as the Royal Challengers Bengaluru are currently at the top of the points table after their tremendous start to their campaign and look like contenders to make it through to the playoff stages. Kohli had also revealed recently how he had come to the decision to step down from captaincy to be in a 'happy space.' 'At one point, it did become tough for me because there was just too much happening in my career. I was captaining India for a period of 7-8 years. I captained RCB for nine years. There were expectations on me from a batting perspective every game that I played," said Kohli in an 'RCB Bold Diaries' podcast. 'I didn't have this sense that the attention was off me. If it wasn't captaincy, it would be batting. I was exposed to it 24×7. It did get very tough on me, and it did get too much in the end," he commented. Kohli will be back in action for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who take on the Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on May 9 (Tuesday). First Published: May 06, 2025, 23:12 IST
Indian Express
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Why Virat Kohli credited Mark Boucher for guiding him during his early years
In the first IPL season, a young Virat Kohli, playing for RCB, found a guide in former South Africa wicketkeeper Mark Boucher. Boucher, Kohli said, wanted to 'help young Indian players' and he took Kohli under his wings and even helped him practice during net sessions. 'Actually of all the players I played with initially, Mark Boucher had the biggest impact on me as a young kid. He was the only guy I saw who came with the mindset that I am going to come in and help some of the young Indian players. And he saw me play and saw a bit of potential and he figured out what my weaknesses could be. If I want to go to the next level this is what I have to do, without me asking anything. I was like okay. He took me to the nets and said we are going to work on the short ball, nobody is going to give you a chance in international cricket if you can't pull the ball,' Kohli told ' RCB Bold Diaries' podcast. Boucher saw Kohli's potential and told him he would be doing a disservice to himself if he failed to make it to the senior Indian team. 'And then he was hitting these tennis balls at me at a pace where I was like, 'if this is what it's going to take I don't think I will be able to make it to the next level'. But he really kept at it and I started becoming better. And I remember it was a game we were playing in Chennai or Kolkata, where he told me that when I come to commentate in India three or four years from now, if I don't see you playing for India you would do a disservice to yourself. He stunned me with the conversations he had with me and that really pushed me in the direction where I said I need to start looking at how I can get better. He had a massive impact on me in those early years,' Kohli said. Kohli on captaincy Kohli, now 36, also said he decided to give up captaincy duties because of the constant pressure of leading India and RCB. Kohli resigned as T20 captain after the World Cup in 2021. He then stepped down as RCB captain before quitting Test captaincy. 'At one point, it did become tough for me because there was just too much happening in my career. I was captaining India for a period of 7-8 years. I captained RCB for nine years. There were expectations of me from a batting perspective every game that I played. I didn't have this sense that the attention was off me. If it wasn't captaincy, it would be batting. I was exposed to it 24×7. It did get very tough on me, and it did get too much in the end.' Kohli added. 'That's why I stepped down because I felt like if I've decided I want to be in this place, I need to be happy. I need to have a space in my life where I can just come and play my cricket without being judged, without being looked at as what are you going to do this season and what's going to happen now,' said Kohli, who has been with RCB since the inaugural edition of the IPL.
NDTV
06-05-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
Virat Kohli Finally Breaks Silence On Quitting As India, RCB Captain: "Was Exposed..."
The constant pressure of leading India and Royal Challengers Bengaluru for nearly a decade and the relentless scrutiny around his batting "became too much in the end" for Virat Kohli, who says he stepped down from leadership to be in a "happy space". Kohli resigned as T20 captain after the World Cup in 2021, following which he also relinquished RCB's leadership role. A year later, he quit Test captaincy following the defeat to South Africa. Kohli said he reached a point in his career where the constant attention became unbearable. "At one point, it did become tough for me because there was just too much happening in my career. I was captaining India for a period of 7-8 years. I captained RCB for nine years. There were expectations on me from a batting perspective every game that I played," said Kohli in an 'RCB Bold Diaries' podcast. "I didn't have this sense that the attention was off me. If it wasn't captaincy, it would be batting. I was exposed to it 24x7. It did get very tough on me, and it did get too much in the end." Kohli, who also took a month-long break from cricket in 2022 and did not touch a bat during that phase, added that a time had come in his life when he was struggling to be happy in the spotlight. "That's why I stepped down because I felt like if I've decided I want to be in this place, I need to be happy. "I need to have a space in my life where I can just come and play my cricket without being judged, without being looked at as what are you going to do this season and what's going to happen now," said Kohli, who has been with RCB since the inaugural edition of the IPL. Leading India to the Under-19 World Cup title triumph does not guarantee one a seamless entry into the senior team, and Kohli said it was his determination and the backing of then skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and coach Gary Kirsten, which helped him secure the No. 3 batting spot in the side. "I was very realistic about my abilities. Because I had seen a lot of other people play. And I did not feel like my game was anywhere close to theirs. The only thing that I had was determination. And if I wanted to make my team win, I was willing to do anything. "That was the very reason I got chances to play for India initially. And Gary (Kirsten) and MS (Dhoni) made it very clear to me that we are backing you to play at number three." Kohli said the two encouraged him to play his natural game, knowing that he would always be a fighter on the field. "This is what you can do for the team. What you represent on the field, your energy, your engagement, is of the biggest value to us. We want you to play that way. "So, I was never looked at as this outright match winner who can change the game from anywhere. But I had this thing, I'm going to stay in the fight. I'm not going to give up. And that is what they backed." Kohli feels nervous energy is something that is crucial to success in cricket, and no matter how many runs one scores, it is something that keeps a player in competitive mode. "What happens when you're young is you feel like, 'if I have scored X amount of runs by the time I'm this age or whatever', things will ease out. It never happens like that. "And that is the marker actually. When you stop feeling that nervousness or that anticipation of how things are going to unfold is when people say that you're done," he said. "So that never goes away from you because that very energy is what keeps you engaged to do what you need to do in that moment, in that present moment." Listen to the latest songs, only on
