It was the West Delhi Cricket Academy where former India captain Virat Kohli began his love-affair with the sport. Rajkumar Sharma, Kohli’s childhood coach, produced the first international cricketer who would go on to make a mark for himself like very few have in history.
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In fact, his aggressive on-field nature, the stares and verbal altercations, or love for Chole Bhature, is perhaps a result of his upbringing in West Delhi. As his professional career flourished, Kohli has come across as a humbler, mature, and composed figure. Realizing his image of a role model for millions around the world, he has taken over the role of a mentor for the youngsters and is quite aware of the need to act responsibly while maintaining his decorum.
Having said that, when it comes to his relationship with the most dearest of friends, this sophisticated image of his goes for a toss and the West Delhi boy is back in the mainstream.
Be his sense of humour or the inside jokes, when Kohli is around his childhood friends like the veteran fast bowler Ishant Sharma, it’s all fun, giggles and laughter without the need to take care of a socially constructed image.
Ishant Sharma Reveals Virat Kohli Is As Funny As He Used To Be During Their Days In West Delhi
During an interaction with his Indian Premier League franchise Delhi Capitals last month, Sharma exclaimed that he is one of the very few individuals who has seen the ‘West Delhi side’ of Kohli, who unravels himself only when he’s around friends like him.
Explaining the bond of friendship which they share till date, the Delhi fast bowler remarked how nobody else but they can understand the meaning of certain jokes.
“Abhi toh woh bahut sudhra hua, sophisticated ho gaya hai, uska kisi ne West Delhi wala roop dekha nahi hai. Woh wala roop dekha hai maine Virat ka. Abhi toh woh thoda sophisticated, captain, ye vo sab cheez hai, but andar se vo West Delhi ka ladka hai, aur vo jab mere se milta hai to vahi hota hai [He’s a bit sophisticated these days, but no one has seen the West Delhi side of his personality. I’ve seen that side of him. He is still that guy from West Delhi and whenever he meets me, he is the same old guy].”
Ishant Exclaims Even Anushka Sharma And Pratima Singh Don’t Get Their Jokes
Further describing the lovely camaraderie which they share, the 34-year-old stated how only they even manage to piss-off their respective wives who fail to find any funny element to the so-called jokes shared by them.
“Social media mein bahut saari aisi reels banti hain jo bahut funny hoti hain. Toh jo main samajh sakta hun, aur jo woh samajh sakta hai, woh hum dono hi samajh sakte hain. Same cheez vo Anushka (Virat’s wife) ko bhejta hai, Anushka, Pratima (Ishant’s wife) ko bhejti hai, to vo kehti hai ki, ‘Do you find this funny?’ To vo kehti hai ‘nahi’. Toh woh same cheez mujhe dikhati hai, aur mujhe bolti hai, ‘Is this funny?’ To main kehta hun haan [There are many reels on social media which are quite funny. And, some of those only we can understand. So he sends the same reel to Anushka, who then sends it to Pratima and asks her, ‘Do you find this funny?’ She’s like ‘No’. Then she sends the same reel to me, and asks, ‘Is this funny?’ And I’m like, ‘Obviously’].”
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During Royal Challengers Bangalore versus Delhi IPL 2023 match, the duo were seen laughing their hearts out both before and after the contest. Perhaps reacting to some of their own inside jokes, Kohli was naturally the most expressive of the two while displaying the absolute raw side of their bond of friendship.
