Top 10 coaches who found India’s biggest cricket icons, featuring Kohli, Dhoni and more

While Indian cricket coaches and support staff at the national level often receive praise for guiding the team to major wins, the real beginning and journey of a cricketer begin much earlier. Behind every successful player is a coach who spotted the spark and helped them hone their skillset.

The coaches, often working without much media attention or spotlights at local grounds or academies, play a big role in producing legendary cricketers. Many of India’s finest cricketers owe their success to their childhood coaches, and during their playing careers, stay actively connected with them. 

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Let’s see 10 coaches who found India’s biggest cricket icons:

10. Rishabh Pant – Late Tarak Sinha

The late Tarak Sinha happens to be the childhood coach of current Indian Test vice-captain and dynamic wicket-keeper-batter, Rishabh Pant. A big name in Indian cricket coaching, Sinha dedicated his life to guiding young talent at Delhi’s iconic Sonnet Cricket Club. Apart from Pant, Sinha mentored stars like Shikhar Dhawan and Ashish Nehra; however, his most emotional bond was with Pant, who often saw him as a father figure. Pant moved from Roorkee to Delhi as a child.

While his father encouraged him to play with older players, it was Sinha who brought technique and temperament to his game. The southpaw also revealed how he learnt his lofted shots without his coach’s attention. He pointed out that Sinha always encouraged him to learn defense so he could easily play all the other fancy or lofted-looking shots.

“When I started playing after moving from Roorkee, I mostly played lofted shots–almost 80 per cent of the time. I did not think about playing along the ground because I used to open the innings. My father always said that playing against your age group is normal, but if you want to improve in cricket, you must compete with older players,” Pant said on JioHotstar.

So, from a young age, he pushed me to participate in senior tournaments. Even when I was 10 or 11, I played in open tournaments. When I joined Tarak Sir, he used to get really angry. He had one rule– ‘You must learn defense first. If you master defence, you will master everything else.’ He believed I already knew how to hit big shots, so he wanted me to learn how to defend. I used to keep an eye on him while batting. If he were watching, I would play proper defence, playing drives and textbook shots. But the moment I saw him looking away, I would go back to playing my natural attacking game,” he added.

9. Virender Sehwag – Amar Nath Sharma

Former India opener, Virender Sehwag’s began his cricket under Amar Nath Sharma, also known as AN Sharma. He first noticed Sehwag as a 14-year-old at the Government Boys School ground in Vikas Puri. Sharma revealed that he saw something special in the young boy. Unlike many coaches, Sharma never tried to change Sehwag’s attacking mindset. He believed in giving him freedom and told him to back his mindset. At the same time, he guided Sehwag to be smarter with shot selection and taught him how to stay grounded. Sharma always believed Sehwag was an opener India will never have like one.

“I doubt India will ever have a player like Sehwag. You can’t produce a player like Sehwag. He is phenomenal. I don’t think India will have an opener like him. When Sehwag used to bat, people used to cheer with full of noise. We have heard the chants of Viru…Viru in the stadiums. When he is out, we have witnessed the silence also. This is what Sehwag all about. I have never seen a destructive batsman like him. If he is set, bring on any pace or spin attack, he will demolish it. There was a Sehwag-era and now it will be remembered forever. The entire world is going to miss that era,” Sharma told CricketNext.

8. Kapil Dev – Late Desh Prem Azad

India’s 1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev‘s childhood coach, late Desh Prem Azad, played a big role in shaping the former cricketer’s cricketing career. Azad also guided players like Chetan Sharma, Yograj Singh, and Ashok Malhotra. A former first-class cricketer himself, Azad played 19 matches between 1953 and 1973, but it was his coaching that came into the forefront. In 1986, he was honoured with the Dronacharya Award, India’s highest coaching recognition.

Azad was known for his strict routines and care for his players. He once stopped Kapil from training for coming late. Azad believed in mental strength and was always present, whether it was early morning sessions or supporting players after tough matches. Dev first trained under Desh Prem Azad as a young boy. He did not care much about diet or comfort – all he wanted was to play for India. After being pulled up by his coach for being late, Kapil changed his routine completely. Kapil always gave credit to his coach, saying he was a friend, guide, and the reason behind his success.

“If I achieved anything, a lot of credit goes to him. He coached me from the beginning of my career. I remember the first day I went to the stadium and I only learnt from him. He was more of a friend to me later on; he was not just a coach,” Kapil told ESPNcricinfo.

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7. Sarfaraz Khan – Naushad Khan:

Young Indian cricketers Sarfaraz Khan and his young brother Musheer have been trained by their father Naushad since childhood. He began coaching Sarfaraz at a young age, and later got his brother into the same routine. Despite financial struggles, Naushad never compromised on his sons’ training, by doing odd jobs and travelling across cities to support their ambitions.

He took care of every detail, from physical fitness to technique, and supported Sarfaraz even when selectors repeatedly overlooked him despite big domestic performances. He trained his sons with long batting sessions, sometimes making Sarfaraz face 700 deliveries in a day. His house in Mumbai was more like a mini cricket camp. When Sarfaraz finally made his Test debut in Rajkot, Naushad broke down in tears. Sarfaraz even handed him the Test cap and shared an emotional moment with his father. 

6. Jasprit Bumrah – Kishore Trivedi

Kishore Trivedi, a veteran cricket coach from Ahmedabad, played a big role in Jasprit Bumrah’s early cricketing days. Trivedi first noticed Bumrah’s action and pace at Nirman High School. He, along with Ketul Purohit, closely guided the young pacer, ensuring that his action was legal and effective. Trivedi always encouraged Bumrah to retain his natural style.

Trivedi later continued coaching at the Royal Cricket Academy, where Bumrah honed his yorkers with daily drills. Despite criticism over Bumrah’s action, Trivedi supported the pacer and convinced others of its legality. He also played an important role in convincing Bumrah’s mother, who was initially worried about his academics, to let her son pursue cricket seriously for two years.

5. Rohit Sharma – Dinesh Lad

India’s T20 World Cup (2024) and Champions Trophy (2025) winning captain, Rohit Sharma’s childhood coach, Dinesh Lad, had a big impact on the opener’s career. A school coach at Swami Vivekanand International School in Mumbai, Lad first noticed Rohit’s talent during a local camp and helped him get a scholarship. He not only gave Rohit the platform to play competitive cricket but also taught him the basics.

Lad always believed Rohit had something special. The coach credits tennis-ball cricket for helping Rohit develop shots like the pull and straight drive. Wet tennis ball practice, in particular, helped Rohit strengthen his reflexes. Lad continues to support Rohit’s goals, especially his dream of winning the 2027 ODI World Cup. He believes Rohit’s experience and mindset will be crucial for India. Notably, the Nagpur-born began his cricketing journey as an off-spinner; however, Lad convinced him to focus more on his batting, considering his talent and skills. 

4. Yuvraj Singh – Yograj Singh

Former India cricketer and now a well-known actor, Yograj Singh, played a tough but important role in his son Yuvraj Singh’s career. After his playing days were cut short by injury, Yograj put all his focus and energy into coaching, and his main project was his son. He noticed Yuvraj’s natural hand-eye coordination early and was convinced to turn him into a world-class cricketer.

A strict teacher, Yograj, pushed Yuvraj to the limit. From early morning drills to intense practice in all conditions, he never let his son be on the backfoor. He believed hard work was the only path to success and did not allow any distractions. In one instance, after Yuvraj won a national skating gold medal, Yograj threw the medal and skates out of the house, telling him to forget skating and focus only on cricket. Yograj has coached other domestic and international players. He took great pride in his son’s success, especially his heroics in the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 World Cup. Yograj currently runs a cricket academy, named Yograj Singh Cricket Academy, in Chandigarh.

3. Sachin Tendulkar – Late Ramakant Achrekar

The late Ramakant Achrekar played the role of a cricket coach, mentor, and father figure to many in the Mumbai circuit, but his most famous and successful student was Sachin Tendulkar. Based in Mumbai’s Shivaji Park, Achrekar trained several future Indian cricketers, including Vinod Kambli, Ajit Agarkar, and Pravin Amre. But his biggest contribution to Indian cricket was spotting a young boy with talent.

It was Achrekar who told 11-year-old Sachin to switch schools to improve his game. One of his famous drills was placing a one-rupee coin on the stumps and challenging bowlers to dismiss Sachin. If they succeeded, the coin was theirs. If not, Sachin got to keep it. Those coins became Tendulkar’s early moments of appreciation. He has also been honoured with the Dronacharya Award in 1990 and the Padma Shri in 2010. Later in 2024, Sachin himself unveiled a memorial of his ‘Guru’ at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Park.

2. MS Dhoni – Keshav Banarjee

Keshav Ranjan Banerjee was the first coach who recognise the legendary Indian skipper MS Dhoni’s potential. During Dhoni’s school days at Jawahar Vidya Mandir, he was more inclined towards football and loved playing as the goalkeeper. But it was Banerjee who encouraged Dhoni to take up wicketkeeping and later helped him grow into a wicketkeeper-batter.

Banerjee trained him during his formative years and supported him through thick and thin. He always felt Dhoni had the fitness and the abilities to play at the highest level. The coach, despite getting media attention after Dhoni became a global star, stayed grounded. Banerjee continues to train young students in Ranchi.

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1. Virat Kohli – Rajkumar Sharma

India’s modern-day batting great, Virat Kohli, credits his childhood coach, Rajkumar Sharma, for guiding him during his young days of aspiring to take up cricket as a profession. On May 30, 1998, a young Kohli walked into Sharma’s academy in Delhi with his father and brother. Initially placed in the junior group, Kohli soon requested to play with senior players.

Even though he was smaller in age and size, he believed he would not get out easily. Sharma hesitated at first, but gave him a chance later. Though he once got hit on the chest by a senior bowler, he continued to bat with the pain. His mother noticed the bruise and asked Sharma to keep him in his age group, but Kohli refused. Years later, when Kohli became India’s all-format captain, Sharma was the first person to announce the news.