Former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh recalled his conversation with veteran Indian batter Virat Kohli on the latter’s international debut in 2008. After Kohli scored a fifty in the penultimate game of his debut series in Sri Lanka, Harbhajan, in his own words, urged Kohli to break Rahul Dravid’s scoring record to justify his talent. However, Kohli opened in that five-match ODI series and promised plenty in his first three innings with the bat as well.

Recalling his words to Kohli, Harbhajan Singh said on Prakhar Gupta’s podcast: “He had a lot of talent, but I wasn’t sure he would do what he has gone on to do. I remember in 2008 he immediately scored a half-century when Ajantha Mendis was unplayable. At that time, I told him that if he didn’t break Rahul Dravid’s numbers, he wouldn’t have justified his talent. There was a huge change in Kohli in just two years. His hunger and desire to win were different.”

Harbhajan Singh also believes Virat Kohli deserves full credit for India’s improved fitness levels and fielding over the years as well.

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“The improvement in fitness levels in Indian cricket should be credited fully to Kohli. No one takes Indian cricket’s fielding lightly anymore, and that’s a credit to Virat Kohli and his team. He changed the entire system of fitness. And his hunger is still the same: to be the one to win the match for India. He’s so passionate, and that’s the difference between him and everyone else,” said Harbhajan.

“I enjoyed his captaincy and his leadership style of talking with the bat and giving it back to the opponents was brilliant. His captaincy exemplified that Indians are not there just to take, but to give it back and teach you guys a lesson. Kohli’s Test captaincy was exceptional. His mindset is something else. He’s a big player with a big heart and is the generational player after Tendulkar,” he concluded.