At DPS RK Puram in New Delhi, Kohli gave the students a very direct message about discipline, keeping their focus, and being honest about what they want to do.
A quick video of the opening showed Kohli and Sharma greeting the students and teachers at the school, and Kohli spent time chatting with the young cricketers. It was distinctly Delhi, a hero from the city returning with the coach who helped him when he was young.
Inauguration at DPS RK Puram
Kohli and Sharma, the coach who turned a very talented boy into a modern great, opened the academy together. For Delhi’s young cricketers, it was a special occasion to see their former teacher and student together, right in their city.
The West Delhi Cricket Academy has always been important to Kohli. Having it at a top Delhi school makes it a little easier for hundreds of students to go from playing on the ground to being a professional.
Kohli’s message to students
Kohli said he doesn’t usually give talks at schools anymore, but he quickly found a connection with the students. He said he understands where they are at, and that when cricket became his whole life, his priorities changed very quickly.
He said school is where you develop your character, where you learn, grow and become a better person.
Here are the takeaways from his talk, in classic Kohli style:
– Be disciplined and focused every single day
– Have clarity about what you want to achieve
– Respect your teachers and the learning environment
– Be honest with your dreams and choices
– Commit fully once you choose a path
Respect, honesty, and clarity
He told the students to appreciate their teachers, because teachers give up a lot of their time to help others improve, and students should show them that they are listening and are respectful.
He also emphasized being honest. Kohli explained that he chose his sport early on because he was truly honest with himself, and he had to be clear with his family and teachers about the route he wanted to follow.
Bond with the academy
When talking about how he got to where he is, Kohli remembered starting practice at the academy at age eight. He still goes back whenever he can, as it’s still a huge part of his childhood.
He wants the new facility to help the students value the work they put in, to learn from the structure of the academy, and to improve the standard of cricket at the school. He simply hopes the academy will be greatly successful for both the students and the game of cricket.
Form, milestones, and Delhi connect
And even when he’s not playing, Kohli’s performance on the field was a part of the event. Playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL in t20 2026, he’s scored 351 runs so far this season, which shows how consistently well he plays.
He recently became the first player to score over 9,000 runs in the IPL. He achieved this during a good game against Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, not far from where he started playing.
It’s noticeable that this happened. The teenager who practiced at a Delhi academy came back as a famous player to open another opportunity for the next generation, and he’s still setting the standard in a league he’s been dominating for over ten years.
Kohli’s advice was delivered with the same straightforward strength as his batting. Work hard, be sure of what you want, and respect the effort involved. The opening of the academy was a pleasant event, but it was also a guide for any young player willing to listen.
That’s really valuable for the young cricketers in Delhi. His coach was with him, the city that nurtured him cheered for him once more, and getting from practice at school to playing in a big stadium now seems a little more possible.
