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"No One Was Going Near Him": Delhi Coach Explains Why Players Froze Around Virat Kohli

Jatin

Virat Kohli played Ranji Trophy earlier this year [Source: @thebharatarmy/x.com]Virat Kohli played Ranji Trophy earlier this year [Source: @thebharatarmy/x.com]

When Virat Kohli walked into the Delhi Ranji camp earlier this year, the buzz in the air was electric. After a lean patch on the Australia tour, Kohli decided to roll his sleeves up and return to the grind of domestic cricket.

Sarandeep Singh Reveals Funny Football Incident With Virat Kohli

It was his first Ranji Trophy game in 12 long years, and though he didn’t get a big score against Railways, his mere presence added weight to the dressing room.

Delhi’s head coach Sarandeep Singh opened up on a hilarious yet heartwarming moment from training. During a football session, everyone on the field seemed to have just one rule, pass the ball to Virat Kohli. No one dared to go near him.

"They were playing football during training and everyone was passing the ball only to Virat. I went and stopped the game in between. I told Yash Dhull is screaming since a long time give the ball to him also. They said no no Virat is standing there. No one was even going near him, thinking what if they stamped on his foot by mistake or something. He then spoke to everyone, sat with the players, and comforted them," Sarandeep revealed on Taruwar Kohli’s YouTube channel.

That is the aura of Virat. Even in a football drill, he was the headline act. The younger lot watched him like wide-eyed kids in a candy store. But to Kohli’s credit, he broke the ice, had a laugh with them and made everyone comfortable.

Virat Kohli Could Play Three More Years

Sarandeep also weighed in on Kohli’s shocking retirement from red-ball cricket just before the England series. He felt the 37-year-old had fuel left in the tank.

"I thought from the outside that he could play three more years. But it also matters what you are thinking as an individual. But he may feel that things are different now. I am also married, have a family, kids and responsibilities are more. Your mind starts functioning differently. You are not just a cricketer but also a family man. So you start thinking differently then. He is a guy who does not play for records. If he did, he would not have become Virat Kohli," Sarandeep said.

Bigger Than Just Numbers

Kohli has always played the game with fire in his belly, not with the calculator in hand. For a man who has broken almost every batting record in the book, it was never about chasing numbers. It was about living every moment in the middle.

His Ranji Trophy return may not have yielded runs, but it showed everyone what makes him special: the ability to inspire. Whether it’s a Test hundred at the MCG or a football pass in Delhi’s practice session, Virat Kohli still holds the dressing room in the palm of his hand.