Synopsis
Until 10:55 AM, Himanshu Sangwan was just another bowler in India's domestic cricket scene. However, in a stunning turn of events, he dismissed Virat Kohli, creating a moment he will cherish forever.Key Takeaways
- Himanshu Sangwan becomes notable after bowling out Virat Kohli.
- Kohli's dismissal led to a shift in stadium atmosphere.
- Sangwan's journey from ticket collector to cricket star.
- Railways team strategy against aggressive Delhi batters.
- Importance of maintaining focus in high-pressure situations.
New Delhi, Jan 31 (NationPress) Until 10:55 AM, Himanshu Sangwan was merely another bowler laboring in India’s domestic cricket scene, well outside the spotlight. However, just a minute later, Sangwan secured a moment that he would treasure and reminisce about with joy for the rest of his life.
Virat Kohli, who received a thunderous cheer upon his arrival after Yash Dhull fell, had just broken free from the tight grip of the Railways bowlers with a powerful straight drive for four, as over 10,000 fans erupted in a chant of ‘Kohli, Kohli’. This shot intensified the pressure on Sangwan to respond, and he did so in spectacular style.
On the very next delivery, Sangwan had the last laugh as he altered the length of his inswinger, coming in from just outside the off-stump, and proceeded to send Kohli’s off-stump cartwheeling.
This euphoric moment, amplified by fans, broadcasters, and social media, transitioned into complete silence as a crestfallen Kohli made his way back to the pavilion named after him, having scored just six runs off 15 balls in the 28th over.
Fans swiftly began to exit the stadium, which soon resembled a typical Ranji Trophy match atmosphere. Sangwan became the ninth pacer to bowl out Kohli in first-class cricket, and he expressed that capturing the wicket of the batting titan is a feat he will cherish forever.
“We adhered to the fundamentals of our strategy. We didn’t devise any special plans for him. Yes, this is absolutely (the most significant wicket of his career). Virat is an inspiration for the entire nation. You can watch my previous videos to see my wicket-taking celebration is instinctive,” he remarked.
“Indeed, playing in front of such a crowd provided extra motivation. It was historic to have such an audience at a Ranji Trophy match. So, it was a memorable moment for us as well,” he stated to reporters after the second day’s play, where Delhi secured a solid 93-run lead.
Minutes after dismissing Kohli, Sangwan’s name began to trend on social media. The frenzy around him was so intense that a fake Instagram account was created in his name, while another individual sharing his name had to disable comments after Kohli’s fans inundated it with insults.
In light of all this, Sangwan was relieved that his Instagram account is private. "I have always maintained my Instagram account as private. It’s not that I made it private just ahead of the match against Delhi," he clarified.
Sangwan, now 29, hails from Charkhi Dadri in Haryana and spent his childhood in Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan, where his parents worked as a bank manager and a teacher. Aspiring to pursue cricket professionally, Sangwan relocated to Najafgarh in New Delhi, where he has been residing in a rented room for the past 14-15 years.
With his parents still residing in Rajasthan, Sangwan has the support of a couple he refers to as uncle and aunty, whom he considers family. He played U19 cricket for Delhi, debuting in the age-group format alongside Rishabh Pant in 2013/14.
In senior cricket, after attempting to join the Haryana team, Sangwan made his debut for Railways in 2019 after joining them the previous year. When not on the field, he worked as a senior ticket collector for about a month and a half at the Old Delhi Railway Station, having been transferred there after a stint at the New Delhi Railway Station.
“Railways has been incredibly supportive. When I wasn’t getting any cricket opportunities, they provided me with chances. Therefore, my first priority is Railways. It’s not that I didn’t get to play for Delhi, so I felt the need to prove myself. It was simply not like that,” he added.
Sangwan, a product of the Sporting Club in the national capital, also provided insight into the strategies employed by Railways bowlers against Delhi’s batsmen, although Ayush Badoni and Sumit Mathur excelled with scores of 99 and 78 not out, respectively.
“All the batters in Delhi are very proficient in white-ball cricket. They never cease to play their shots. We didn’t have to be overly aggressive. We simply needed to bowl according to our strategy, and they would get out on their own. So, it was a straightforward plan applicable to all batters. We didn’t have to attack them, as they play aggressive cricket on their own,” he explained.
“Thus, our strategy was to bowl in a particular area, allowing them to dismiss themselves. For Ayush, it was a simple plan; we had to contain his strokes, ensuring we placed the ball in the right zone and prevented him from scoring freely. If you restrict an aggressive batter from playing his shots, he becomes anxious and eventually gets out while trying to hit big shots,” he detailed.
Although Delhi is just seven runs shy of a 100-run lead, Sangwan expressed confidence in a Railways comeback in the remaining two days. “This is a phase of Test cricket—sometimes we excel, sometimes we falter. Therefore, it’s not over yet, and we can still recover as there are two days remaining and we have bowled well so far.”
Sangwan’s moment of triumph in his lengthy career unexpectedly overshadowed Friday morning’s anticipation of Kohli’s batting prowess. The act of uprooting Kohli’s off-stump and the subsequent exodus of fans from Kotla created a memory that Sangwan will undoubtedly carry with him throughout his life. It’s a remarkable story he will share numerous times in the years to come.
