RCB vs CSK: Not MS Dhoni! Virat Kohli credits this CSK great for helping him in early days

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Virat Kohli narrated a beautiful story on how Suresh Raina pushed his name which helped him a lot in his career. He revealed how the former India star told management to make Virat play even though the coach didn't want to.

Virat Kohli arguably is one of the best batters that the world of cricket has seen. His growth as a batter has been remarkable and as each day passes by he seems to be getting even more better and is scoring truckloads of runs both at IPL as well as on the international stage.

From 2008 to 2024, Virat Kohli has made himself a huge name. The batter has achieved a lot in his career and because of that, he has become a global icon. His journey from being an unfit player to one of the fittest and the consistent players has been nothing short of exceptional.

But Suresh Raina deserves a lot of credit for it and had the former India skipper didn't give Virat Kohli the push he needed, we wouldn't have witnessed a batting maestro like Kohli. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru batter came up with an untold story of how Raina suggested his team and gave him the opportunity.

During the 2008 Emerging Cup in Australia, Virat Kohli met Suresh Raina. It wasn't turning out to be a great tournament for Kohli as he failed in the middle order in the initial games. Raina, who was the captain of the team, saw the right-hander batting in the nets and was left amazed by the potential.

Suresh Raina asked Virat Kohli if he could open the innings and then the batter expressed his desire to play. However, the coach of the team wasn't interested but Raina told him to open. In the next game, the young batter came up with a magnificent century against the New Zealand team.

Dilip Vengsarkar, who was the selector at that time, was impressed by Virat Kohli's innings and decided to give him the longer rope. And more than a decade later now, Kohli is the leading batter in all three formats of the game and is counted in Legends of the Game.

I have been very thankful to Suresh Raina, I have told him that he has pushed his name - Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli while talking about the same stated how Dilip Vengsarkar noticed him after Suresh Raina pushed his name. While narrating the story on the Jio Cinema, he explained:

"I think it was 2008. It was an Indian match. We were playing in the Emerging Players tournament in Australia in 2008. The significance of the Emerging Players tournament at that time was that the best cricketers who were on the verge of playing for their country would come to play there, and it was a very important tournament for us. So I still remember that Raina might have heard about me. He came mid-tournament. Initially, S Badrinath was the captain, but when Raina arrived, he took over the captaincy. Pravin Amre was our coach, and he had kept me out of the playing eleven.

"So Raina saw me playing in the nets and asked Amre sir why I wasn't playing. I used to bat in the middle order, while Ajinkya Rahane opened. Amre sir said there wasn't a spot available in the team. Then Raina insisted that I should be played, so Pravin sir called me and asked if I would open," the former RCB captain added.

"I said I would do anything (bat anywhere), just give me a chance to play. So I opened against New Zealand. Dilip Vengsarkar sir was the selector at that time. I scored 120 not out, and he probably decided then and there that I should be given further opportunities," Kohli said, acknowledging Raina's role in earning Kohli a chance in the early days of his cricketing career.

Virat Kohli sharing a lovely the story behind how Suresh Raina pushed his name.

- Raina, despite being a regular commentator has never mentioned about his generosity. What a guy! ❤️p<!---->i<!---->c<!---->.<!---->t<!---->w<!---->i<!---->t<!---->t<!---->e<!---->r<!---->.<!---->c<!---->o<!---->m<!---->/<!---->O<!---->n<!---->h<!---->v<!---->r<!---->8<!---->h<!---->6<!---->7<!---->Z

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) M<!---->a<!---->y<!----> <!---->1<!---->8<!---->,<!----> <!---->2<!---->0<!---->2<!---->4