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The Indian domestic 2026/27 season has already started, as East Zone won the Duleep Trophy. Now the Irani Cup will take place; after that, the Ranji Trophy first phase will start. Ahead of that, the state teams are getting ready for the premier red-ball tournament of India. Amidst this, Virat Kohli’s childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma is set to become head coach of Delhi.
Sarandeep Singh serves as the Chief Coach for the senior men's team at the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA). The former India bowler was the coach last season. However, there is no confirmation on whether he will remain as the head coach, given the fact that there are some coaches who are fighting for the position.
Virat Kohli's childhood coach fighting for Delhi head coach role
As per a report from the Times of India, there has been an ongoing race between Virat Kohli’s childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma and another unnamed veteran coach to take up the head coach’s role for the forthcoming season. As of Friday, 18th September, the race has intensified between the two coaches. It will be exciting to see who finally takes charge as the days pass by.
Virat Kohli's childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma and another veteran coach are in a tight race for the Delhi head coach job this season. The lovely hills of Kailash can spring a late surprise but as of Sept 18, it looks like a two-way race.
— Sahil Malhotra (@Sahil_Malhotra1) September 18, 2026
Delhi's last senior men's title came… pic.twitter.com/eltoer33fB
Delhi last won a domestic trophy under Virat Kohli’s childhood coach, Rajkumar Sharma, when they won the U-23 CK Nayudu Trophy after beating Mumbai in the final, under the captaincy of Jonty Sidhu. Thus, Rajkumar Sharma has been a name that has been known for his deep connections and has successfully run the team, which has dominated both the 40-over and T20 leagues.
What happened between Rajkumar Sharma and DPL?
The 61-year-old coach has been a well-known name in the domestic circuit and thus it helps to get it allows him to keep tabs on the cricketers and the consistent performers in the tough club circuit of Delhi. However, something different happened in the recently concluded Delhi Premier League (DPL) 2026 season when a controversy erupted surrounding Dev Chaudhary.
Virat Kohli’s childhood coach was in charge of the New Delhi Tigers, as the franchise had already picked their players; among them, Dev Chaudhary was also part of the team. However, the cricketer was in the middle of controversy as he had no professional cricketing experience, and yet he was selected in the squad.
Social media and cricket fans raised their voices against the skepticism across digital platforms regarding his playing background. Rajkumar Sharma raised his voice against the rules of the DPL, and if it had been heard, the team structure would have been different, and they would not have had to finish at the bottom, as they won just one game out of 10, losing the other 9.
What will Virat Kohli's childhood coach bring if appointed as head coach?
The coach should be completely blamed for the result of the team. As per reports, if Sharma is given the full free hand and works on his own terms, as he did with the U-23 team and also as Delhi senior team's head coach in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 domestic seasons, he can bring in good results for the state.
However, the other unnamed "veteran coach" is also believed to be pulling heavy strings to stage his DDCA return. But if Sharma is made the coach, they can get the services of Virat Kohli as well, given his connection with the former India captain.
