When Virat Kohli was dropped from Delhi team at 1 AM. (Photo Source: BCCI)
Virat Kohli is named in the 84 probable players list by the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) for the upcoming Ranji Trophy season. Along with Kohli, star India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant is also included. If Kohli makes his presence felt for Delhi in the upcoming season, it will be his first appearance for the state since 2012.
As soon as the list came out, an old video of the 36-year-old went viral, where he shed light on an unfortunate incident. Kohli made his debut for Delhi in the 2006-07 Ranji season. The batting stalwart revealed that he was dropped from the side with a heads-up coming at 1 AM in the night. He revealed the reason why his father did not pay the compensation to make his son play.
Also Read: Rohit and Kohli’s form is not a concern: Aakash Chopra
“There was a time in my life where there was an opportunity, I was selected for Under-14 Delhi team and then I was dropped at 1 AM because of some complications and you know how and what happens at state levels. Someone was preferred over me because of some compensations that were done and stuff like that,” Kohli said while speaking to Dinesh Karthik.
“Same was offered to my father as well, that if you can, maybe he can get into the team after two games. My father straightaway said ‘I’m not going to pay a single penny to make him play. If he can play on his talent, so be it, if not, it’s not meant to be for him.’ So that stuck with me,” he added.
Here’s the video of Kohli’s comments:
A wise man once spoke about Delhi cricket https://t.co/xfvile2Poq pic.twitter.com/pwT8irVrjp
— Prashanth S (@ps_it_is) September 25, 2024
Kohli unlikely to play for Delhi in Ranji Trophy
But as fate would have it, the Ranji Trophy proved to be the catalyst in shaping the young Kohli’s career. His father passed in December 2006 and he scored 90 against Karnataka the day after his father’s demise. He last played for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy in 2012 against Ghaziabad. But the player is unlikely to participate in the impending season as the Test series against New Zealand is around the same time.