‘Was Dropped At 1 AM’: Kohli Opens Up On ‘Compensation’ And Favouritism In State Cricket

Nottingham: Not much is ever discussed how the state cricket boards in India function. Time and again, players keep telling their personal stories of how one player is favoured ahead of another, regardless of their performances. Indian skipper, in a chat with Dinesh Karthik for Sky Sports, revealed the inherent problems in state cricket functioning, while talking about a personal story. 

Virat Kohli was selected in Delhi’s U-14 cricket team but his selection was cancelled “at 1 am” as his father refused to pay “compensation” for his son to stay in the team. Virat Kohli was talking about the “complications at the state-level boards”. 

Watch the interview on Youtube below. (See from 8 minutes)

 

Kohli said, “My father set a great example! I was selected for Delhi U-14, but was dropped at 1 am due to complications at the state level. Someone was preferred over me because of some compensations that were offered. The same was offered to my father. That if you can, he would be in the team in the next 2 days but my father straight-away refused.

“My father didn’t give a single penny and said that if he has to become a cricketer, he will, based on his talent” he added. 

Virat Kohli says that this incident had a huge impact on him growing up and he decided that he will always rely on himself to be a better player. 

Kohli’s father passed away in 2006 when Kohli was still young. It is learned that Kohli played a state match on the very next day of his father’s demise. With this, Kohli has opened up a discussion about the injustice faced by cricketers at the state level.