Virat Kohli's Childhood Coach Rajkumar Sharma Leads Race To Become Head Coach

Virat Kohli with childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma [Source: x]Rajkumar Sharma, the childhood coach of Virat Kohli, has emerged as one of the leading contenders to become the next head coach of the Delhi cricket team. Sharma has already coached several teams within the DDCA framework, and played domestic cricket for the senior men’s team back in the late 1980s.He was also a part of the coaching setup of the New Delhi Tigers franchise in this year’s DPL 2026 season in Delhi.Virat Kohli’s coach likely to become Delhi head coachAs reported by a Times of India journalist, Virat Kohli’s childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma and one other veteran coach are in a tight race to become the next head coach of the Delhi cricket team for the upcoming 2026-27 Indian domestic season.The Delhi cricket team is currently coached by former Indian spinner Sarandeep Singh. Sarandeep was appointed for the high-profile role back in September 2024 a couple of years ago. Also Read- Virat Kohli To Play Domestic Cricket For Delhi Again, Board ConfirmsIt is worth noting that the Delhi senior men’s team has not won a single notable BCCI domestic trophy since lifting the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy back in 2017-18. Meanwhile, in the same year, the Delhi Under-23 team also won the Col C. K. Nayudu Trophy by defeating Mumbai at the Mumbai Cricket Association Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) ground by five wickets.At the time, the coach of the Delhi Under-23 team was none other than Rajkumar Sharma himself.Rajkumar Sharma undergoes below-par DPL 2026 seasonRajkumar Sharma was also a part of the New Delhi Tigers coaching set up for this year’s DPL 2026 season in Delhi.The team managed to secure just one win and sustained nine defeats from 10 matches to finish at the bottom of the eight-side points table. However, as per reports, Sharma was a late appointment into the coaching setup of the New Delhi Tigers franchise and had little-to-no decision-making powers in the selection of players. Rajkumar Sharma’s journey with DDCARajkumar Sharma has been associated with DDCA for over four decades. He started out his cricketing journey with the Delhi men’s team in 1986-87, and went on to play nine first-class matches and three List A games for them up until the 1990-91 season.He founded the West Delhi Cricket Academy in 1998, and his academy is known for nurturing India’s all-format great Virat Kohli since his younger days.He was also appointed as the bowling coach of the Delhi cricket team in mid-2019, when KP Bhaskar was named head coach of the side. What can Rajkumar Sharma bring to the table for Delhi?The Delhi cricket team seems to have reached its lowest point in Indian domestic circuit in the past few years, especially under the coaching of Sarandeep Singh. Since Rajkumar Sharma already has extensive experience within the DDCA setup and a proven track record of working with young cricketers, his appointment could provide Delhi with a coach who understands the team’s domestic structure and the development pathway from age-group cricket to the senior level.Moreover, Sharma’s long-standing association with Virat Kohli could also prove useful if the former India captain is available for Delhi during the domestic season.Also Read- WCPL Winners List Over The Years (2022-2026)