NEW DELHI: India’s star batter and former captain Virat Kohli recently shared an amusing story from his early days in the Indian cricket team, involving his first encounter with the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.
Kohli, who turned 36 just a few days ago, narrated the tale during an event, giving fans a glimpse into a light-hearted moment from his formative years in international cricket.
The story, now viral in a video, took place in 2008, when Kohli was part of the Indian team that played against England in a series just before the tragic 26/11 Mumbai attacks. Kohli had previously played for India, but this was the first time he had the opportunity to meet and play alongside Tendulkar, who had missed the earlier tour of Sri Lanka.
Kohli revealed that some of his teammates had planned a prank on him, although Tendulkar was not part of it.
“He [Tendulkar] was not involved. We were playing against England in India before the Taj incident [Mumbai attack] in 2008. I have played for India before but Sachin paaji was not there in Sri Lanka. He had taken a rest, and I got an opportunity to be a member of the squad. And the only thing I was looking forward to in the next series was to play with him,” Kohli said with a smile.
“So, the first time I met him and this happened, main toh pairon me gir gaya, maine kaha karna padta hoga. Toh woh piche hat rahe,’yeh kya kar raha he tu?’. Main unko bhi nahi bol pa raha hoon ki paaji bola gaya hai karna padta hai yahaan pe. Main kar raha hoon.”
Kohli went on to reveal the masterminds behind the prank, pointing out that Irfan Pathan and Munaf Patel were the key culprits, with Munaf enthusiastically encouraging him from the background.
“Then he gave all these guys a little bit..I think Irfan bhai was there…ofcourse Munaf Patel. He [Munaf] used to be the one cheering from behind ki karo karo with his unique voice. So, unhone sabne mereko fasaya,” Kohli laughed, reminiscing about the moment.
The light-hearted prank was a memorable introduction for Kohli to the dressing room dynamics of the Indian cricket team.
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