MUMBAI: Former leader selector Dilip Vengsarkar on Sunday claimed he had fast-tracked Virat Kohli's entry into the Indian team when captain MS Dhoni and coach Gary Kirsten "had not heard" of him.
Vengsarkar was speaking after launching the e-book 'Howzzat' penned by means of celebrated astrologer Greenstone Lobo in suburban Bandra.
"...Then I picked Virat Kohli in the (nationwide) team straight away. To be fair with you, he used to play (the) Emerging Players event in Australia, and that time I was accountable for the choice committee.
"And I had long gone to Australia to look the fit and I had picked him (Virat) because that they had won the Under 19 World Cup,'" recalled the previous India captain.
The 116 Test veteran also stated that Tamil Nadu batsman S Badrinath had to make way for Virat.
"And in the first game itself he (Virat) scored a hundred (in that event). And I was impressed (and thought) he's the boy (and has) remarkable talent. I got here back and others had no longer heard of him.
"MS Dhoni was the captain, Gary Kirsten was the coach of the India team and they had not heard of him, so they said we should not pick him now at the moment and let him play few games and I was insisting that you must pick this guy, there is no question and they had to drop (S) Badrinath at that time," stated Vengsarkar, who's fondly known as 'Colonel'.
Kohli, who made his India debut against Sri Lanka on August 18, 2008, has scaled heights in his ever rising career and will lead India in the upcoming World Cup, which starts May 30 in England.
In the similar vein, the previous captain, who has scored three hundreds at Lords claimed that it was on his insistence that Sachin Tendulkar was picked in the then Bombay side.
"Sachin Tendulkar was picked when I was the captain of the Bombay (now Mumbai) team, everybody was against him (saying) he was too small (young) at that time but I insisted that he (Tendulkar) should be picked," he remembered.
Vengsarkar also recalled anecdotes of his taking part in days, while Lobo predicted that India would beat arch opponents Pakistan in the marquee conflict in the World Cup.
Vengsarkar was speaking after launching the e-book 'Howzzat' penned by means of celebrated astrologer Greenstone Lobo in suburban Bandra.
"...Then I picked Virat Kohli in the (nationwide) team straight away. To be fair with you, he used to play (the) Emerging Players event in Australia, and that time I was accountable for the choice committee.
"And I had long gone to Australia to look the fit and I had picked him (Virat) because that they had won the Under 19 World Cup,'" recalled the previous India captain.
The 116 Test veteran also stated that Tamil Nadu batsman S Badrinath had to make way for Virat.
"And in the first game itself he (Virat) scored a hundred (in that event). And I was impressed (and thought) he's the boy (and has) remarkable talent. I got here back and others had no longer heard of him.
"MS Dhoni was the captain, Gary Kirsten was the coach of the India team and they had not heard of him, so they said we should not pick him now at the moment and let him play few games and I was insisting that you must pick this guy, there is no question and they had to drop (S) Badrinath at that time," stated Vengsarkar, who's fondly known as 'Colonel'.
Kohli, who made his India debut against Sri Lanka on August 18, 2008, has scaled heights in his ever rising career and will lead India in the upcoming World Cup, which starts May 30 in England.
In the similar vein, the previous captain, who has scored three hundreds at Lords claimed that it was on his insistence that Sachin Tendulkar was picked in the then Bombay side.
"Sachin Tendulkar was picked when I was the captain of the Bombay (now Mumbai) team, everybody was against him (saying) he was too small (young) at that time but I insisted that he (Tendulkar) should be picked," he remembered.
Vengsarkar also recalled anecdotes of his taking part in days, while Lobo predicted that India would beat arch opponents Pakistan in the marquee conflict in the World Cup.
Backed Kohli when Dhoni, Kirsten had not heard of him: Vengsarkar
![Backed Kohli when Dhoni, Kirsten had not heard of him: Vengsarkar]()
Reviewed by Kailash
on
April 22, 2019
Rating:
