"Will play at least four years" - Virat Kohli's childhood coach gives massive update on star batter's Team India future

Virat Kohli's childhood coach, Rajkumar Sharma, recently opened up on his ward's future. He opined that the former India captain would play international cricket for at least four more years.

The 36-year-old Kohli remains one of the fittest cricketers in the world. Much to the delight of his fans, his childhood coach has predicted that the veteran batter would continue donning the Indian jersey for a few more years to come.

Sharma also suggested that after his retirement from international cricket, Kohli would still feature in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for a few more seasons. Speaking to Cric Blogger, he said:

"Virat will play at least four years of international cricket if not more and could play many more years in IPL if he wants to."

Virat Kohli will be seen in action on Sunday, March 2, as India take on New Zealand in the final group-stage match of the 2025 Champions Trophy. It will be the right-handed batter's 300th ODI appearance. He will become the seventh Indian player to achieve this significant feat.

He shone with the bat in India's crucial 2025 Champions Trophy match against Pakistan last week. Kohli notched up his 51st ODI ton, remaining unbeaten on 100 off 111 balls. The Men in Blue chased the 242-run target in 42.3 overs to beat their arch-rivals by six wickets.

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"You feel proud of such a child" - Rajkumar Sharma on Virat Kohli's achievements

After India's six-wicket win over Pakistan, Rajkumar Sharma disclosed that Virat Kohli arranged tickets for him for the marquee clash. He also revealed that he stayed in the same hotel as Team India.

The 59-year-old expressed pride in Kohli's remarkable achievements on the cricket field. Speaking to Timesofindia.com, Sharma said:

"He is the one who gave me the tickets. I am staying in his hotel. He knows that I am sitting there. You feel proud of such a child. If you are his coach, then there is nothing more proud than this."

It is worth mentioning that Kohli is just 51 runs away from overtaking Shikhar Dhawan and becoming India's leading run-getter in the Champions Trophy. Dhawan has scored 701 runs in 10 games, while Kohli is currently at 651 runs in 14 innings. Ex-India skipper Sourav Ganguly is second on the list, chalking up 665 runs from 11 innings.