'I always knew Kohli would turn into a great player'

Former India coach Gary Kirsten always had the belief that the immensely talented Virat Kohli would grow into a "great cricketer". The South African considers himself fortunate to have been part of that process.

"I always had a different kind of feeling when I started working with Virat Kohli. From the beginning I was very sure that he was a rare talent and would become a great player. He grew massively in these past few years and has matured a lot.

"I was fortunate to be part of that process, of seeing him grow, and that gives me immense pleasure," Kirsten said.

Kirsten was, on Tuesday, appointed chief coach of Delhi Daredevils for the seventh season of the Indian Premier League.

Asked whether Kohli would be able to step into Sachin Tendulkar's shoes once the legend calls time on his illustrious career, spanning close to two-and-a-half decades, Kirsten was very cautious in his choice of words.

"I have always been very careful about appointing someone in that place (Tendulkar's replacement). It's a very dangerous position and very risky to name anyone. That's something that you guys (media) do, but I won't do that.

"All I can say is that Kohli is a fantastic batsman whom the opposition bowlers are finding it difficult to get out. The teams nowadays do a lot of planning to get him out," he said.

Few are aware that Shikhar Dhawan made his international debut in an ODI in 2010, when Kirsten was India coach. The former South Africa opener is impressed with the batsman's "self-belief".

"Unlike Kohli, I haven't seen much of Dhawan, but what I have gathered over time after some interactions with him is that he has massive amount of self-belief in his abilities, which is very refreshing," he observed.

Kirsten was effusive in praise of India's current coach Duncan Fletcher, saying the Zimbabwean's coaching philosophy and situation is quite different from his.

"You have to understand one thing. The team that I worked with was revolving around players who were nearing retirement, while Duncan came in when the team saw the influx of a lot of youngsters. So, ideally, you can't really compare my situation with him.

"Coaching a team with a lot of seniors requires different skill set and coaching philosophy from what one needs to coach a younger side. From what I have seen, Duncan has done a fabulous job with this current crop of young Indian players. He is, in fact, very good with youngsters and has proved that again by giving them a lot of chances.

"This is one quality of Duncan which I realized when I was a young cricketer eager to make a mark. He (Fletcher) was my coach and I learnt a lot from him. Also, I was fortunate to have a captain like M S (Dhoni), who grew in stature as a leader. He has been an incredible leader of men," Kirsten explained.

When the India 'A' team was recently playing in Pretoria, Kirsten dropped in during one of the matches to catch up with his old wards, like Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina and Cheteshwar Pujara.

"Actually, I haven't been in touch with most of the boys, so this India 'A' tour gave me an opportunity to renew old ties.

"It was nice catching up with some of the boys who played under me, as the bonding is still strong. I have had wonderful three years as India coach and largely because these boys made me comfortable.

"Now I am coming back in a different role -- as a coach of the franchise side. It will be nice to again come in touch with all these boys," the 45-year-old fondly recollected.

For the coach, who guided India to the No 1 Test ranking, coaching a Twenty20 side is "very palatable from family perspective as it would help me devote more time to my young family and also be involved in active coaching".

Asked about the role of a coach in the shortest format from the longer version, Kirsten said the combination becomes very important in T20.

"You need players who are able to cover all the unique elements and components of T20. There are players who cater to these certain skill sets. As far as Test matches are concerned, it's an altogether different kind of challenge, as you can pack strategies of at least three to four T20 games in a five-day Test match."

Asked about India's upcoming tour of South Africa, Kirsten gave a wry smile and asked, "Is it happening?"

Just like his numerous fans, his love and respect for Tendulkar is unquestionable.

"I can't say anything new or beautiful that hasn't already been said about the great man. For me, Sachin has been very humble, always ready to learn being a thorough professional. It was a pleasure and honour working with him."