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29-year-old Najafgarh-born Himanshu Sangwan made headlines on Friday by breaching Virat Kohli’s defence and shattering his stumps in the first Ranji match after 12 years.
Himanshu Sangwan celebrates after taking Virat Kohli’s wicket on Day 2 of Delhi-Railways Ranji Trophy Elite Group D match at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. (Picture Credit: PTI)
Among the 11 players representing Delhi against Railways in the seventh round of the ongoing Ranji Trophy season, the thousands of fans gathered at the Arun Jaitley Stadium recognized just one – Virat Kohli. His return to the domestic grind after 12 years had transformed an ordinary Ranji match into a spectacle. Fans from the national capital region and beyond thronged Kotla, eager to witness the maestro in action. However, they left Kotla on Friday with shattered hopes, adding a new name to their directories – Himanshu Sangwan.
After enough stargazing on day 1, the fans expected the batter Kohli to dazzle. On his way to the middle, he received a rousing reception, as if some king was back to his kingdom after ages. But the comeback after 12 years lasted just 21 minutes. Right after smashing Sangwan down the ground for a boundary, Kohli’s off-stump went cartwheeling while the fans headed towards the exit gates.
So, what worked for the Railways pacer to decimate one of the modern-era legends? Nothing much, but the basics.
Speaking to the media after the day’s play, Sangwan, a right arm quick, said he hit the right area and reaped the favourable result.
“We had a basic plan, and we stuck to it while bowling to them. There wasn’t any special planning involved. It was a dream come true moment for me,” Sangwan said.
“All of Delhi’s batsmen are very good in white-ball cricket. No batter hesitates to play their shots, and they keep swinging the bat. So, our plan was not to attack them but to bowl in a consistent channel as per our strategy.
“Wo hum par attack karenge aur out honge (We expected them to attack us and eventually get themselves out). This was our simple plan, which applied to all of Delhi’s top six or seven batsmen, something we discussed in our team meeting as well. There was no separate plan for Kohli,” he added.
Sangwan believes that dismissing Kohli for him is a historic feat. It took him 24 First-class matches and years of patience to experience it. The right-arm pacer made his Under-19 debut for Delhi back in 2013, along with Rishabh Pant. But when he sensed a dearth of opportunities in the national capital, he packed his bags and headed back to Charkhi-Dadri, his home in Haryana, and began competing at the district level.
But Sangwan was destined to return to Delhi where he settled down in Nazafgarh and then found peace with the Railways team. In 2019, he made his domestic appearances at the senior level across formats.
When asked if he was proving any point against Delhi, he said, “Railways supported me well at a time when I wasn’t getting opportunities in cricket. Obviously, since they gave me a chance to play cricket, my first priority is the Railways team. It’s not like Delhi didn’t give me opportunities, so I had to prove something to them.”
On Friday morning when he uprooted Kohli’s off-stump, his celebration was sense of achievement. He roared, punched the air and gave high-fives to his teammates. Elaborating it to the media, Sangwan said that’s how he celebrates every wicket he picks up.
“It was my natural celebration; I’ve always celebrated my wickets like that. I didn’t do anything different there. We didn’t have any specific plan that only a particular bowler would take Kohli’s wicket, nor did I come with the mindset that I had to take Kohli’s wicket. Our plan was simple: stick to the basics and execute our strategies on the field,” Sangwan said.
What he did sent a shockwave into the crowd, not only turning them silent but forcing them to vacate the arena with disappointment. Sangwan beheld the special moment which he had never seen before.
“In my opinion, this is not just my match but also a match in the history of the Ranji Trophy that has witnessed such a massive crowd. So, it was a special moment for us as well because, for the first time, we played a match in front of such a huge audience,” he added.
Delhi caught their breath following a fiery 99 from Ayush Badoni and then Sumit Mathur holding fort to hand the hosts a 93-run lead. Sangwan, who returned 2 for 46 in 20 overs, believes that Railways bowled well.
“[Delhi bouncing back] This is just a phase in first-class cricket. Sometimes we are on top, and sometimes we are not. So, it’s not like we’re out of the game. We can still make a comeback. There are still two days left in the match, and we’ve bowled well,” Sangwan said.
