- By Manik Sharma
- Tue, 07 Nov 2023 10:53 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Former Indian cricket chief selector, Dilip Vengsarkar shared his insights on Virat Kohli's journey from a promising young player to one of India's living cricketing legends. Kohli is in a sensational form for India in the ongoing edition of the Cricket World Cup, amassing 543 runs in eight innings with a staggering average of 108.60, and two centuries to his name.
Vengsarkar recalled the first time he saw Kohli in action while playing for India 'A' in an Emerging tournament in Australia. Kohli's remarkable performance in that match, where he scored an unbeaten 120 runs to secure a win against New Zealand 'A,' made a lasting impression on Vengsarkar.
“What struck me about him was not just his game, but the fact that he stuck around to finish the job for his side,” Times of India quoted Vengsarkar as saying.
Vengsarkar emphasised the importance of timing when selecting a player for the national team, highlighting that giving them the opportunity to play at a higher level should come at the right moment in their career.
“When you pick a player as a selector, the timing is the most important thing. You need to give an opportunity to play a higher level of cricket at the right time, not when he has lost form. I must congratulate and thank my entire selection committee for backing my call to pick him at that time,” Vengsarkar thanked the selection committee for supporting his decision to pick Kohli for the ODI series in Sri Lanka in 2008.
The former selector also lauded Kohli's ability to bounce back after a challenging period during 2018-2021. Vengsarkar commended Kohli for introducing a culture of fitness to the Indian team, a legacy that has had a profound impact on Indian cricket.
“Early on in his career, in the summer of 2008, Virat had a very poor IPL. How he rejuvenated himself, and relaunched his cricket, is absolutely amazing. He completely sort of 'relaunched' himself, worked hard on his game and his fitness, focused hard, and became an outstanding cricketer,” Vengsarkar appreciated Kohli’s fitness.
While Kohli is known for his on-field aggression, Vengsarkar emphasised the down-to-earth nature of Kohli.
“He may appear aggressive on the field, but he's pretty down-to-earth off it. He has always acknowledged the fact that I picked him at the right time for India,” Vengsarkar added.
In 1992, Vengsarkar retired from his career as an Indian cricketer and went on to establish his cricket academy, named the Elf Vengsarkar Academy, located in Mumbai. Later, in 2006, the BCCI appointed him as the chief selector, where he gained recognition for discovering and selecting MS Dhoni, who went on to become India's two-time ICC World Cup-winning captain.
India will next play Netherlands in the final game of the group stage on November 12, and will follow it up with a semi final clash at Wankhede stadium on November 15.