“Felt like we’re taking part in for India” – Delhi’s Shivam Sharma on Virat Kohli’s Ranji Trophy return

Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji Trophy is having a positive effect. Apart from all the coverage that the domestic cricketer is getting, his teammates and even the opposition players are ecstatic to share the field with him. Delhi will face Railways at the Arun Jaitley Stadium from January 30 to February 2, and the touring captain, Pratham Singh, shared that his team is motivated to do better knowing Kohli will be playing against them.

The former Indian skipper’s Delhi teammate Shivam Sharma says that players are giving it their all and extra in the presence of Kohli. “There are not many 30-plus players in this Delhi side. The presence (and experience) 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,” he told RevSportz.

The all-rounder felt like he wasn’t playing for Delhi but the India cricket team after seeing the heavy coverage of the match. This isn’t common in domestic cricket, but since Kohli is playing, all the eyeballs are fixated on him. “It felt like we are playing for India. I have never seen so much media frenzy around Delhi’s practice session during the domestic season,” he added.

Shivam added that players are excited about Kohli being around. The former Indian captain’s attitude has impressed him the most. According to him, Kohli hasn’t acted as if he’s superior and even had long chats with them. They shared a meal with them, despite his strict diet regime, and remained humble.

“We, among the players, have been talking about his presence since the last few days and there was a sense of excitement. 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 added.

“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,” he said.

The all-rounder also praised the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for their mandate of making domestic cricket a must for international cricketers. He thinks it’ll raise the level of cricket and help both the domestic players and those playing for Team India.

“It is really good for domestic cricket, and for the players. 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,” Shivam Sharma added.