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Virat Kohli's much-fancied Ranji Trophy return after 12 long years was short-lived after he was dismissed for just 6 by Railways pacer Himanshu Sangwan in the first innings of the match at Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium. Kohli didn't get to bat in the second innings as Delhi handed Railways a defeat by an innings in the group match. Despite the negative result his team incurred, Railways' Himanshu Sangwan made headlines for the fact that he clean-bowled the great Virat Kohli.
Now, Sangwan has revealed what happened in the lead up to the delivery.
"Before the match, there were talks about Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant going to play for Delhi. At the time, we didn't know that the match would be aired live. We slowly learned that Rishabh Pant wouldn't play, but Virat would, and the match would be streamed live. I am leading the Railways' pace attack. Every team member told me that they thought I would dismiss Virat Kohli," Sangwan told Hindustan Times.
"The bus in which we were travelling, even the bus driver told me that you know that you need to bowl at the fourth-fifth stump line to Virat Kohli, and then he will get out. I had self-belief. I just wanted to focus on my own strengths rather than someone else's weaknesses. I bowled to my strengths and ended up getting the wicket," he stated further.
Sangwan said Kohli appreciated the delivery that got him.
"There was no specific plan for Virat Kohli in general. The coaches told us that the players from Delhi like to play attacking cricket. They are all stroke players. We were told to bowl a disciplined line," said Sangwan.
"When our innings ended, I was going to the dressing room and Virat Kohli was coming to the field. Ayush Badoni and Virat were there. Virat Bhaiya himself shook hands with me and said, 'Very well bowled'. He told me that I was bowling well. I then told him I wanted to take a picture with him during the lunch break. I went to Delhi's dressing room. I took the same ball with which I got him out. He even asked me whether it was the same ball. He then said jokingly, 'Oh teri ki. Maza aa gaya tujhe toh'," he added.