The camaraderie between Indian cricketers Virat Kohli and Ishant Sharma dates back to their early days in the sport. Having played together since their U-17 days and representing both Delhi and India, the duo share a strong bond.
Ishant recently shared an interesting anecdote about his first interaction with Kohli during a podcast interview. Recalling their meeting at the Delhi U-17 trials, Ishant remembered being taken to the cleaners by Kohli during a trial match.
“I first met him during Delhi U-17 trials. I remember wearing a small lower. He had already played India U-19 so I had heard his name a lot. Everyone used to call him ‘Viru’ back then. Our match was at the West Delhi Cricket Academy and he absolutely hammered me. The wicket was flat as a road in Najafgarh,” Ishant said on Beer Biceps podcast.
Despite the rough encounter, Ishant managed to secure a spot in the Delhi U-17 team. Kohli, already having played for India U-19, advised Ishant to buy a lower (cricket pants) of his size, setting the tone for their friendship. Ishant admitted to being shy at the time but never anticipated that he would go on to represent India.
“I somehow got selected for the U-17 trials. I met him in person during there. He jokingly told me ‘bhai lower to lele apne size ka (buy a lower of your size)’. I was very shy back then, didn’t knew how to interact with others. I didn’t knew how big it was to play Delhi U-17.”
