Dav Whatmore knows a thing or two about Virat Kohli and why wouldn’t he. After all, he is the coach under whom the India batting sensation won his first major accolade in international cricket. The India skipper led the U-19 team to World Cup triumph in 2008 under Whatmore and the Australian coach is mighty pleased to see Kohli’s meteoric rise in the game.

The Delhi lad has been turning heads with his consistent performances with the bat and Whatmore feels losing weight has played a pivotal role in Kohli’s turnaround as a batsman.

“During his U-19 days, he was a little plump. What has made Kohli stand out is his desire to achieve excellence. It takes a lot of discipline to lose weight and get stronger. And he is reaping the rewards for the hard work now,” said Whatmore, who is currently in Chennai as the director of a cricket academy launched by Sri Ramachandra Arthroscopy and Sports Sciences Centre.

“He embraced challenges. The skills were there and so was the mental strength,” he added.

Recalling the U-19 World Cup in Kuala Lumpur, Whatmore said Kohli led from the front throughout the tournament.

“He did fail a few times during the tournament and I remember having a little chat with him. It was to address the issue of looking to bat through the 50-over mark, not just getting quick runs and getting out early,” said Whatmore.

Meanwhile, Whatmore, who has worked with the legendary Muttiah Muralitharan during his stint with Sri Lanka, feels Ravichandran Ashwin brings more to the table as compared to the Sri Lanka great.

“Ashwin is one of the most valuable players in world cricket now. He is not only a match-winner with the ball, but also has the ability to make the ton at No.6 He is a very smart boy. What an asset to have. Virat Kohli must be really happy to have him. Muralitharan was absolutely world class (but) he didn’t bat as well as Ashwin can do,” Whatmore concluded.