Kohli Was Introduced to Me as the Boy Who Will Surpass Me: Sehwag

Anil Kumble, Ravi Shastri and Virender Sehwag heaped praise on Virat at the launch of his biography ‘Driven’.

Virender Sehwag says after watching a young Virat Kohli play, he was convinced of his enormous talent. (Photo: PTI)

Virat Kohli was introduced to him as the boy who would “surpass him” one day, revealed Virendra Sehwag at the launch of Driven, a new book on Kohli written by veteran journalist Vijay Lokapally.

Sharing a story from Kohli's formative years with the Delhi Ranji team, Sehwag said:

It was Pradeep Sangwan who came and told me <i>“Bhaiyaa, ek ladkaa hain jo aapko bhi peeche chhor dega,</i>” (This boy will surpass even you). I was curious to know who this boy was.

Veteran journalist Vijay Lokapally has written ‘Driven’, a biography of Kohli. (Photo: PTI)

Sangwan's praise for his India U-19 teammate was not misplaced, Sehwag realised later.

Heaping praise of the Indian skipper, Sehwag said:

This was a match where Virat powerfully drove the ball. There was both long-on and long-off and yet the ball raced to the boundary and I knew he was talented. But he also remained humble all these years.

Kohli Admits His Mistakes: Coach Anil Kumble

For India's chief coach Anil Kumble, what impresses him apart from his inspirational leadership is Kohli's ability to be flexible in certain situations.

I love the way he prepares for his matches. Not only does he lead by example but when he makes a mistake, he has the honesty to admit it. He (Virat) would come up to you and say, ‘Okay I have made a mistake. Can we discuss?’ I believe when he will look back at his wonderful career, he will be really proud of his achievements.&nbsp;

While Team Director Ravi Shastri said Kohli was “on his way towards becoming one of the all-time greats that the world has ever seen”, World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev advised the Indian Test skipper to “not only play cricket but also have a sense of humour”.

(With inputs from PTI)