'Is this the same ball...?': Virat Kohli reacts as Himanshu Sangwan seeks him out in dressing room after dismissal

Railways bowler Himanshu Sangwan was brutally attacked on social media after he dismissed India batter Virat Kohli during the Ranji Trophy face-off against Delhi at the Arun Jaitley Stadium earlier this week. Kohli, who returned to domestic cricket for the first time since 2012, was dismissed for just six runs after facing 15 balls as Himanshu sent the off stump for a cartwheel. However, while his fans showed no mercy to the 29-year-old bowler, Kohli seemed pretty impressed with Himanshu's delivery that got him out. Railways' Himanshu Sangwan celebrates the wicket of Delhi's Virat Kohli at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Friday.(HT_PRINT)

Amid the loud 'Kohli! Kohli!' chants from the spectators, who waited with baited breathe to watch the superstar in action, the 36-year-old gave a glimpse of his prowess when he stepped out of the crease to drive a fuller delivery from Himanshu down the ground for a boundary. But it was the fast bowler who had the last laugh. On the next ball, he ended Kohli's stay with a brilliant in-swinging delivery that made it through the bat and pad to crash against the stumps.

After the match, where Delhi won spectacularly by defeating Railways by an innings and 19 runs, Himanshu reached out to Kohli in the dressing room, and in his hand was the same ball with which he got the former India captain out on Day 2 of the contest.

According to Dainik Jagran, Kohli asked the right-arm pacer, "Is this the same ball with which you got me out?" On hearing yes, he added, "It was a great ball, it was fun." He then gave his autograph on the ball before Himanshu told him that he was also once part of the Delhi dressing room at the under-19 level. Kohli responded saying: "I have heard about you. You are a good bowler. Best wishes for the future."

'Virat Kohli the most important wicket of my life'

Himanshu, who grabbed headlines on Friday after adding to Kohli's red-ball woes on his return to Ranji Trophy cricket after 13 years, labelled it as the best dismissal of his career, but maintained that the India batter is an inspiration for the entire country.

“It is the most important wicket of my life. It goes without saying. Virat Kohli is an inspiration to the whole country,” he said. “First time in life I saw so many people turning up for a Ranji Trophy game. It was special for all of us."

Kohli's dismissal was only a blip for Delhi, who rode on half-centuries from skipper Ayush Badoni (99) and Sumit Mathur (86) to post 374 in response to a first-innings total of 241 from Railways. Off-spinner Shivam Sharma then picked up a fifer as Railways were bowled out for just 114 runs on Day 3 as the hosts secured their second win in the season.

Click here to read article