Virat Kohli Was Drawn Into RCB’s Party Culture, Reveals Childhood Coach Rajkumar Sharma

Virat Kohli may be regarded as the benchmark for fitness and professionalism in modern cricket, but his childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma has revealed that the former India captain faced his own challenges during the early years of his IPL career with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

Speaking on the Express Cafe YouTube channel, Sharma recalled how Kohli had to navigate the distractions that came with entering the glamorous world of franchise cricket as a teenager after leading India to the U-19 World Cup title in 2008.

The veteran coach said the culture around the RCB setup during the league’s formative years made it difficult for any young player to stay away from off-field temptations.

Rajkumar Sharma opens up on Virat Kohli’s early IPL struggles

Kohli was picked by RCB ahead of the inaugural IPL season and has remained loyal to the franchise ever since. However, Sharma admitted that adapting to the environment was not easy for the then 18-year-old.

“It was the most important phase of his life. When he was fortunately picked for RCB, you know what the culture in RCB was – the culture of parties. And I don’t blame him at all. A kid of 17 or 18 cannot avoid that party culture. It was mandatory for everybody to attend those meetings and parties. There was a culture there that you had to go to parties. So how could a 17-18-year-old kid resist that party culture?” Sharma said.

The coach revealed that he had to take a firm approach to ensure Kohli remained focused on his cricketing goals during that phase.

“At that time, I really had to work hard with him. I had to scold him a lot. I did many things that I cannot reveal here. Just to control him – not to control him, but to handle him. I don’t blame him at all. When you are such a young kid and you have to go to such parties every day, you can’t resist. But my role there was that I handled him. By God’s grace, he understood me, he understood what needed to be done, and from there he never looked back,” he added.

Virat Kohli transformation into cricket’s fitness icon

Today, Kohli is widely regarded as one of the fittest cricketers in the world. Even at 37, he continues to set standards with his intensity on the field, running between the wickets and athleticism in the outfield.

Sharma highlighted the discipline Kohli follows off the field, particularly when it comes to diet.

“I don’t even know for how many years he hasn’t had sugar,” Sharma said.

Kohli himself has often credited his fitness transformation for extending his career and improving his performances across formats. His strict dietary habits and training routines have become a blueprint for a generation of cricketers.

Virat Kohli still going strong in IPL 2026

Despite retiring from T20 Internationals and Test cricket, Kohli continues to excel in the IPL. The RCB star has already crossed the 550-run mark in IPL 2026 and remains a key figure in Bengaluru’s title defence.

His consistency has played a major role in RCB securing a playoff berth and finishing among the frontrunners in the league stage.

With his focus now firmly on the 2027 ODI World Cup, Kohli’s journey from a teenager learning to handle fame and distractions to becoming one of cricket’s most disciplined athletes remains one of the sport’s most remarkable transformations.