“It felt like we are playing for India,” said all-rounder Shivam Sharma, who is part of the Delhi squad that will take on Railways at the Arun Jaitley Stadium from January 30. “I have never seen so much media frenzy around Delhi’s practice session during the domestic season.” As Virat Kohli, in a black Porsche Cayenne, headed inside the stadium to train with the Delhi squad, all the cameras and smartphones only followed the iconic Indian batter, who has returned to the Ranji fold after 12 long years.
Social media was flooded with photographs and videos as Kohli went about his business, warming up with his Delhi teammates and catching up with old friends and officials. The DDCA is expecting thousands of fans to flock to the stadium to witness Kohli in action, whereas the broadcasters had to make last-minute arrangements to live-stream the game. There was a lengthy warm-up session followed by a game of football, Kohli’s favourite, as the Delhi players loosened up at the Kotla to gear up for their last league game against Railways.
“There are not many 30-plus players in this Delhi side,” said Shivam. “The presence of such a legend only motivates all the youngsters. Virat bhai loves football, so we had an extended session, and even during normal warm-ups, you could see the youngsters go about the drills with more focus and diligence. No one wants to leave a bad impact in front of Kohli. It is actually good for the players.”
Kohli was in a great mood on Tuesday as he laughed with the players and officials before getting into the zone as he hit the nets. Not only did he bat for more than an hour, he was open to advising the bowlers he was facing. “We, among the players, have been talking about his presence since the last few days and there was a sense of excitement,” said Shivam. “He was in excellent mood. It felt like a homecoming, where the entire family comes together. He was constantly giving advice to the bowlers he faced. For good balls they bowled, Virat bhai had a word of instant praise. That itself is motivating. Even after the nets, if someone had anything to talk to with him, he was open to talking with them at length.”
Shivam was part of the Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) squad in IPL 2014 and made his debut against Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru, a game in which he dismissed Yuvraj Singh and Albie Morkel. “After the practice, I went to him to remind him that I have played against him in the IPL and he instantly remembered,” said Shivam. “I asked him about my bowling to him today, to which he praised me for the way I was ripping the ball and how the ball was gripping extra while I was bowling.
“It was nice for him to spare some time. His words will motivate me to do even better. What I liked the most about him that he was like a normal player when he entered the dressing room, getting to know more about his teammates and interacting with them. There’s such an aura around him but he was humble, and at no point did he made us realise that he is the Virat Kohli. He had Kadhi Chawal, like we all did.”
Recently, the BCCI passed a 10-point diktat to all the players, making it mandatory to play domestic cricket. Following that, the likes of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill took the field for their respective state sides. Kohli will be next, along with KL Rahul (Karnataka) and Mohammed Siraj (Hyderabad).
“It is really good for domestic cricket, and for the players,” said Shivam. “If I am playing with Virat bhai, I would give that extra percentage on the field. Similarly, if I am playing against a player of that stature, I would push myself extra to get his wicket. It will help the quality of the domestic setup grow. It will also allow the lesser-known players to come into the media limelight or on to the selectors’ radar quicker. It’s a win-win for all.
“The entire country will be watching the match now that is going to be live-streamed. I will try my level best to leave the best impression of myself out on the field for the next 4-5 days.”