Railways bowler Himanshu Sangwan found himself at the center of a social media storm after dismissing Indian cricket star Virat Kohli during their Ranji Trophy match against Delhi at the Arun Jaitley Stadium earlier this week. Kohli, who was playing his first domestic match since 2012, was sent back for just six runs off 15 balls, as Himanshu clean bowled him, with the off-stump cartwheeling.
Despite the backlash from Kohli’s fans targeting the 29-year-old bowler, Kohli himself seemed quite impressed with the delivery that claimed his wicket.
The atmosphere was electric as spectators, eagerly chanting “Kohli! Kohli!” awaited the superstar’s performance. Kohli showed his class early on, stepping out of the crease to drive a fuller delivery from Himanshu down the ground for a boundary. However, it was the fast bowler who had the final say.
On the very next delivery, Himanshu delivered a superb in-swinger that snuck through Kohli’s bat and pad, crashing into the stumps to end the former India captain’s brief stay at the crease.
After Delhi’s dominant win by an innings and 19 runs, Himanshu made his way to Kohli in the dressing room, holding the same ball with which he had dismissed the legendary batter.
According to Dainik Jagran, Kohli, upon recognising the ball, asked, “Is this the same ball with which you got me out?” When Himanshu confirmed, Kohli replied, “It was a great ball, it was fun,” before signing the ball for him. The conversation continued with Himanshu mentioning his time as part of the Delhi under-19 team, to which Kohli responded warmly: “I have heard about you. You are a good bowler. Best wishes for the future.”
‘Virat Kohli the most important wicket of my life’
Himanshu, who became the talk of the town after dismissing Kohli, described it as the best moment of his career, acknowledging Kohli as a huge inspiration to the country. “It is the most important wicket of my life, no doubt about it. Virat Kohli is an inspiration to the whole country,” he said.
Reflecting on the significance of the match, he added, “It was the first time in my life I saw so many people turn up for a Ranji Trophy game. It was special for all of us.”
While Kohli’s dismissal was a rare blip in Delhi’s otherwise commanding performance, the team dominated the match. Delhi posted a challenging 374, thanks to half-centuries from captain Ayush Badoni (99) and Sumit Mathur (86), in response to Railways’ first-innings total of 241. Off-spinner Shivam Sharma then took a five-wicket haul to bowl out Railways for just 114 on Day 3, as Delhi secured a comprehensive victory, their second of the season.