Bus driver told me 'bowl fifth-stump line to Virat Kohli and he'll get out'

Before the Ranji Trophy tie between Delhi and Railways began at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, Virat Kohli and his return to domestic cricket after 12 years made all the noise. However, despite Delhi registering a staggering win, the focus has shifted to Railways pacer Himanshu Sangwan, who ensured Kohli didn't enjoy a happy homecoming.

Sangwan, 29, who made his first-class debut for Railways in 2019 against Uttar Pradesh, is having the time of his life. He sent Virat's off-stump cartwheeling, ending the former India captain's stint at the crease and triggering pin-drop silence among the crowd. Kohli lasted just 15 balls and 23 minutes, getting out for 6.

Given Kohli's Achilles Heel, the entire world expected the Railways pacer to bowl outside off-stump to Kohli. However, Sangwan went out of the syllabus, dishing out a perfect inswinger. The ball jagged back in sharply, going through Kohli's defence and sending his off-stump flying.

Were there any special preparations before the high-profile contest against Kohli? In a conversation with Hindustan Times, Sangwan revealed that all he wanted to focus on were his strengths instead of falling prey to the outside off-stump hoopla. In fact, Sangwan revealed that the driver of the bus he and the team were travelling in didn't shy away from sharing his advice either, something the bowler clearly didn't see coming.

"Before the match, there were talks about Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant going to play for Delhi. At the time, we didn't know that the match would be aired live. We slowly learned that Rishabh Pant wouldn't play, but Virat would, and the match would be streamed live. I am leading the Railways' pace attack. Every team member told me that they thought I would dismiss Virat Kohli," Sangwan said.

"The bus in which we were travelling, even the bus driver told me that you know that you need to bowl at the fourth-fifth stump line to Virat Kohli, and then he will get out. I had self-belief. I just wanted to focus on my own strengths rather than someone else's weaknesses. I bowled to my strengths and ended up getting the wicket," he stated further.

Sangwan, who has picked up 81 First-Class wickets, mentioned there were no specific plans for Kohli. He also opened up about his conversation with the legend and how he got him to sign the match ball for him.

"There was no specific plan for Virat Kohli in general. The coaches told us that the players from Delhi like to play attacking cricket. They are all stroke players. We were told to bowl a disciplined line," said Sangwan.

"When our innings ended, I was going to the dressing room and Virat Kohli was coming to the field. Ayush Badoni and Virat were there. Virat Bhaiya himself shook hands with me and said, 'Very well bowled'. He told me that I was bowling well. I then told him I wanted to take a picture with him during the lunch break. I went to Delhi's dressing room. I took the same ball with which I got him out. He even asked me whether it was the same ball. He then said jokingly, 'Oh teri ki. Maza aa gaya tujhe toh'," he added.

Sangwan became the talk of the town after he dismissed Virat Kohli on Day 2 of the Ranji Trophy tie. Fans were surprised to see the pacer's Instagram profile as 'private'. However, Sangwan has now made his profile public and in a matter of days, his followers count has gone up from 750 to more than 18,000. Kohli enjoys such a massive fan following that over 10,000 fans turned up at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on the first two days of the Ranji Trophy fixture in Delhi, but for all you know, most of them had a new individual to look up to.

"After this match, my life has changed. When I returned home, there were 300 missed calls and 200-230 messages. I always had my Instagram account as private. I am getting so much love, and my follower count is also increasing. I have made my Instagram profile public now," said Sangwan.

"This is the biggest crowd that I have ever seen. None of our coaches and players hadn't seen a crowd like this before. We were getting the feeling of an international match. I would say the feeling was even better than an international match because in an international, you hear cheers for different players such as Hardik, Shami, and Bumrah. But here, there were just 'Virat Virat' chants. I had a lot of fun playing in Delhi," he added.

'Disappointed to not see Rishabh Pant play'

Not many know Sangwan and Pant have played together for Delhi U-19. Hence, it's only fair to know that Sangwan was disappointed not to see Pant turn up for Delhi against Railways, especially when he had featured in the previous Ranji fixture against Saurashtra in Rajkot.

"I was a little disappointed not to see Rishabh Pant play against us because we have played in U19 together. Since then, he has been playing international cricket and IPL. I have not met him either. I was excited to meet and talk to him. It has been several years since we have met," he said.

Sangwan's initial struggle

Sangwan may have become an overnight sensation by getting Kohli's wicket, but the pacer has been toiling hard for several years. He left his home when he was just 13 or 14 years old and has been living in a rented house for more than 15 years.

"It was a difficult period. I shifted to Delhi at the age of 13-14. I have been living in a rented house for more than 15 years. I have enjoyed my struggles. I always had the self-belief. I kept on playing. I have been supported by the family with whom I stay. They have always treated me like their own kid. They have always been there. I always had someone who could listen to me even when I performed badly during a match," said Sangwan.

"When I started playing domestic cricket, I always taught the importance of hard work and never to take shortcuts. IPL is a good platform. Players get to play international cricket after playing IPL. But I think playing IPL is not the only solution to playing international cricket; you can do that by grinding it out in domestic cricket as well. It is a long route, but hard work always pays off. India has a very good structure when it comes to domestic cricket," he added.

Kohli isn't the first cricket legend Sangwan has impressed. As a matter of fact, even before making his First-Class debut, Sangwan grabbed the attention of none other than Glenn McGrath.

"I went to the MRF Pace Academy in 2018. There was a batch of 25 kids. Video analysts saw our bowling actions, and Glenn McGrath told us about the areas where we could improve. I came up last. McGrath Sir told me I have perfect action, a good run-up, a strong body, and a good wrist position. He told me to keep going and that I have strong basics," said Sangwan.