Former South African wicketkeeper and current coach Mark Boucher recently opened up about a heartfelt moment he shared with a young Virat Kohli during the early days of the IPL. Reflecting on their time together at Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Boucher recalled how he encouraged the fiery youngster to dream big—so big, in fact, that he compared him to none other than Sachin Tendulkar.
Back in 2008, Kohli was fresh off captaining India to the Under-19 World Cup title. He was confident, raw, and brimming with potential. Boucher, then nearing the twilight of his playing career, saw something special.
“I remember telling him, ‘Virat, you’re immensely talented and just starting out. You could easily end up playing 20 years of IPL. Sachin also started young, so why not aim to be India’s next great?’” Mark Boucher recalled in an interview with Times of India. “I never imagined he would take it this far and create his own monumental legacy.”
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But beyond words of inspiration, Mark Boucher also helped Kohli address technical challenges, particularly his early vulnerability against the short ball.
“He came to me and said, ‘Bach, can you help me with the short ball?’ I immediately agreed,” Mark Boucher said. “We worked with tennis balls initially. I showed him a few tweaks—little adjustments in his positioning and mindset. Being from South Africa, facing short-pitched bowling is second nature to us, and I tried to pass on some of that experience.”
That mentorship, even if brief, seems to have left a lasting impact. Kohli has since evolved into one of the most complete batters across formats. In the IPL alone, he’s scored 8,509 runs in 255 innings, including eight centuries and 62 half-centuries, at an average of nearly 40.
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His red-ball career was equally iconic. Having recently retired from Tests, Kohli finished with 9,230 runs in 123 matches at an average of 46.85, leaving behind a legacy that not only honoured Boucher’s early prediction but redefined it entirely.
