Virat Kohli's father was once asked to pay bribe to ensure his selection
Photo : PTI
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Virat Kohli will return to the Ranji Trophy after 13 years
- Kohli will play for Delhi after 12 years
- Kohli is arguably the greatest Delhi cricketer ever
Virat Kohli's return to the Ranji Trophy for the match against Railways will not only see him play India's premier first-class competition after 13 years but also see him return to his roots and play for the Delhi team again, which was instrumental in the rise that saw him become the undisputed best player in the world for a long period.
This will be the first time Kohli will play for Delhi in any format since the 2013 Challenger Trophy, in which he led the Delhi team on their run to the final, where they lost to India B by 50 runs at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.
When Virat Kohli Was Dropped From Delhi Side Because Of 'Compensation'
However, Kohli did not have it easy to rise to the top and had to struggle to be selected for the team. The ex-Indian captain had once revealed that he was dropped from the state U-14 team at the last minute due to 'compensation' issues. The Delhi cricket superstar also revealed his father refused to pay any bribe.
“I was selected for the U-14 Delhi team and then I was dropped at 1:00 AM because of some complications…, you know how and what happens at the state levels, someone was preferred over me because of some compensations that were done.
“The same was offered to my father as well. That if you can (pay for selection), maybe he (Kohli) can get into the team after two games. My father straightaway said ‘I’m not gonna pay a single penny to make him play. If he can play on his talent, so be it. If not, it’s not meant for him’," said Kohli in an interaction with Dinesh Karthik for SKY Sports.
Also Read: Virat Kohli: The Fall Of A Test Cricket Legend - What Went Wrong?
Kohli's father passed away in 2006, but he still turned up to play a Ranji Trophy match for Delhi hours later in one of the most inspiring stories in Indian cricket history. The Indian cricket star made a knock of 90 and rushed home later for the last rites.
Kohli is among the greatest to play the sport and has the fourth most runs in international cricket history. With 81 tons across format, he is only behind Sachin Tendulkar in the list of players with the most centuries at the highest level.
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