Virat Kohli, former India skipper was brought into the team during Dilip Vengsarkar’s tenure as the Chairman of Selectors. Dilip Vengsarkar sent the then youngster Virat Kohli out for different assignments and has been credited by veteran cricket administrator Prof Ratnakar Shetty for his contribution and acute decision-making.
Veteran cricket administrator Prof Ratnakar Shetty reserved special praise for former Chairman of selectors for his decision to introduce former India skipper Virat Kohli to the national side.
Prof Ratnakar Shetty Reserved Special Praise For Dilip Vengsarkar
While speaking at his book launch ‘On Board – My years in BCCI’, which was officially unveiled by former BCCI boss Sharad Pawar, Prof Ratnakar Shetty reserved special praise for Dilip Vengsarkar, implying he was the best.
“I have not seen a chairman in selection committee better than Dilip Vengsarkar in my tenure in BCCI,” Shetty said after his book ‘On Board – My years in BCCI’ was launched by former BCCI chief Sharad Pawar.
“We celebrated Virat Kohli’s 100 Test, but I know the truth that when he came back from ICC World Cup U-19, he (Vengsarkar) pushed him (Kohli) into the Emerging player’s tournament, sent him to Australia where Virat got a hundred in the final, which we won.”
“He came back (and) Dilip introduced him into the Indian team and brought him into this mainstream of Indian cricket,” he recalled.
Prof Ratnakar Shetty, who has worked closely with former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar, a veteran of 116 Tests, also threw light on the ‘Colonel’s’ tenure as the chief national selector.
“Not only that, even in the Greg Chappell era, difficult times in Indian cricket, some of the cricketers were left in the lurch at that time, many of them came back to play for India when he (Vengsarkar) became chairman of selection committee.
“Because, he had that power and he could take such decisions. That was Dilip Vengsarkar,” added Shetty, who is a chemistry professor by profession.
According to Prof Ratnakar Shetty, Sharad Pawar, the former ICC, BCCI and MCA chief, “had the knack of getting things done”. Sharad Pawar launched the book in the presence of Dilip Vengsarkar, Mumbai Cricket Association President Dr Vijay Patil, and a host of former India and first-class cricketers, including Balwinder Singh Sandhu, Diana Edulji, Nilesh Kulkarni, Chandrakant Pandit and others.
Virat Kohli Was The Leading Run Scorer In Emerging Players Tournament 2009
In the Emerging Players Tournament 2009, India took the 50-over title with a 17-run win over South Africa at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane. Virat Kohli was the leading run-scorer with 398 runs, including two centuries and as many fifties, while Sudeep Tyagi led the wicket charts with 14 wickets.
South Africa were the overwhelming favourites to take the title, having won all eight games but failed to chase down a challenging 284 in the final. The in-form opener Virat Kohli (104) and wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha (74) were the top performers with the bat while the Uttar Pradesh fast bowler Sudeep Tyagi took 4 for 74 to derail the chase.
On March 2, 2008, the Virat Kohli-led Indian cricket team won the ICC Under-19 World Cup beating South Africa in the final of the tournament by 12 runs (D/L Method) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
A young and aggressive side won all their group matches and kept a perfect winning record in the tournament, however, a rainy final displayed India’s true temperament as the young lads held their nerves to win their second U-19 World Cup title at that time. Fast forward to 2022, India have now won the U-19 World Cup five times – 2000, 2008, 2012, 2018, and 2022.