Unmukt Chand On Virat Kohli (Source: @MSDianMrigu/x.com, @ImTanujSingh/x.com)
Even before making way to the senior men’s side, 18 year old Virat Kohli announced his arrival in global cricket after lifting the Under-19 World Cup while leading India. Since then, the Delhi prodigy has climbed the ranks swiftly, driven by sheer grit and relentless hard work.
Four years after Kohli’s World Cup win, another Delhi boy, Unmukt Chand, won the Under-19 World Cup while leading the side. As fans often compared these two, Unmukt recently revealed how Kohli became a major inspiration in his journey.
Unmukt Calls Kohli An Inspiration
After Mohammad Kaif Won the Under-19 World Cup in 2000, Team India waited for eight long years for their next triumph. In 2008, Virat Kohli led the way for India’s next triumph. After the remarkable victory, he announced his arrival on the global cricket scene. Over time, he has shaped himself into one of the game's icons, as millions of fans idolize him worldwide.
After Kohli’s remarkable win, Unmukt Chand channeled the legacy as he won the trophy in 2012. Even the cricket world drew comparisons between these two stars, for Unmukt Chand, Kohli has always been his inspiration. Speaking on The Raunac Podcast, he revealed that they even shared the dressing room in the Delhi camp during the domestic season.
“I saw Virat growing in front of me. Four years back, he had won the World Cup. When I was playing Ranji Trophy before the World Cup itself, I was sharing the dressing room with him,” he said.
"So it was an inspiration to me. When people compare you to him (Kohli), I have to step up to fill those shoes and come to that level. I always look at it like that,” he added.
Reflects On Early Domestic Days
Both hailing from Delhi, the Under-19 World Cup-winning captains shared the dressing room in the 2010 domestic season. While Unmukt Chand played Vijay Hazare in 2010, he used to bat with Virat Kohli. In a recent conversation, he revealed that he spoke with the former India skipper frequently, drawing inspiration from him.
“My first season for Delhi was in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2010. Virat was in the team, and I spoke a lot with him at that time. He was there in my Ranji Trophy debut as well. I used to talk a lot to him. I would open with Shikhar, and one down was Virat, so I have batted quite a bit with him too,” he added.
Despite winning the prestigious Under-19 World Cup, Virat Kohli and Unmukt Chand’s careers took different paths. As Kohli rose as an icon of the game, Unmukt Chand kept waiting for his India debut. Later on, he joined the USA and followed his passion.
.jpg?type=mq "India Cancels Scheduled Practice")
