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Virat Kohli's impact on Delhi players during Ranji return, recounted by coach: ‘No one going near. Dhull is screaming…’
Sarandeep recalled an incident from a football session where everyone was passing the ball to Kohli, but no one was going close to him to avoid injuring him.
Former BCCI selector Sarandeep Singh recalled the incident from the Ranji Trophy training session earlier this year when Virat Kohli joined the Delhi camp to play domestic cricket. After an underwhelming Australia tour with the bat, Kohli decided to play a Ranji Trophy match following the BCCI's mandate. He returned to the domestic circuit to play the premier red-ball tournament after 12 years, but failed to score big against Railways. The Delhi Ranji camp added a new dimension to the team environment, with young players keenly observing the former India captain as he trained with them ahead of the Ranji Trophy match.
Delhi head coach Sarandeep recalled an incident from a football session where everyone was passing the ball to Kohli, but no one was going close to him to avoid injuring him.
"They were playing football during training and everyone was passing the ball only to Virat. I went and stopped the game in between. I told Yash Dhull is screaming since a long time give the ball to him also. They said no no Virat is standing there. No one was even going near him, thinking what if they stamped on his foot by mistake or something. He then spoke to everyone, sat with the players, and comforted them," Sarandeep said on Taruwar Kohli's YouTube channel.
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“Virat Kohli could play three more years”
Meanwhile, Sarandeep, who watched Kohli from close quarters during his Ranji return, talked about his sudden retirement from red-ball cricket ahead of the England tour. He asserted that Kohli could have played three more years, but he also shed light on what the 37-year-old must have been going through while making such a big decision.
"I thought from the outside that he could play three more years. But it also matters what you are thinking as an individual. But he may feel that things are different now. I am also married, have a family, kids, and responsibilities are more. Your mind starts functioning differently. You are not just a cricketer but also a family man. So you start thinking differently then. He is a guy who does not play for records. If he did, he would not have become Virat Kohli," Sarandeep said.
