Ranji Trophy: Himanshu Sangwan reveals strategy behind dismissing Kohli
What's the story
29-year-old Najafgarh cricketer Himanshu Sangwan made headlines by dismissing Virat Kohli for just six runs in the ongoing Ranji Trophy.
The match marked Kohli's return to domestic cricket after a gap of 12 years.
Meanwhile, fans had high hopes from the batting maestro, but Sangwan cut his comeback short just 21 minutes into his innings.
This surprising turn of events occurred during the seventh round of the tournament, where Delhi are playing against Railways at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Game plan
Sangwan's strategy behind Kohli's dismissal
Sangwan, a right-arm fast bowler, revealed his simple yet effective strategy which led to Kohli's dismissal.
He said they planned to maintain a consistent line and length.
"We had a basic plan, and we stuck to it while bowling to them. There wasn't any special planning involved," Sangwan said while speaking to the media at the end of Day 2.
He then added, This was our simple plan, which applied to all of Delhi's top six or seven batsmen."
Career path
Sangwan's journey and allegiance to Railways
Sangwan's cricket journey began with his Under-19 debut for Delhi in 2013, alongside Rishabh Pant.
However, due to limited opportunities, he returned to his hometown in Haryana and played at the district level.
He eventually found a place in the Railways team and made his senior-level domestic debut across formats in 2019.
Additionally, Sangwan thanked Railways for giving him opportunities, and stated, "Railways supported me well at a time when I wasn't getting opportunities in cricket."
Victory moment
Sangwan's celebration and acknowledgment of crowd presence
Sangwan's dismissal of Kohli was accompanied by an exuberant celebration.
He clarified that stating, "It was my natural celebration; I've always celebrated my wickets like that."
The event sent a wave of disappointment through the crowd, leading many to leave the stadium.
Despite this, Sangwan recognized the unique experience of playing and said, "It was a special moment for us as well because, for the first time, we played a match in front of such a huge audience."
Stats
Sangwan's overall stats in domestic cricket
Notably, Sangwan ended the first innings with figures worth 4/55 in 25.4 overs.
His scalps included crucial wickets of half-centurion Sumit Mathur and Grewal alongside Kohli and opener Sanat Sangwan.
As per ESPNcricinfo, the wicket of tailender Money Grewal took Sangwan's FC tally to 81 wickets at an average of 19-plus.
With his latest four-fer, he now boasts seven four-wicket hauls besides three fifers.