‘Buy a lower of your size’ Ishant Sharma reveals the first interaction with Virat Kohil.

Ishant Sharma’s exclusion from the Indian Test team has become apparent in recent times, but his contributions to the nation will be cherished for years to come.

The trio of Ishant, Shami, and Bumrah wreaked havoc on opposing teams, particularly during away Test matches, as India consistently managed to take 20 wickets to secure victories on foreign soil.

Virat Kohli, the captain of the Indian Test team during this period, played a pivotal role. In contrast to his predecessors, who heavily relied on spin bowling to win matches, Kohli had a preference for pace and encouraged his fast bowlers to express themselves, even if it meant conceding some runs.

Having known each other since their under-17 days, Kohli and Ishant share a special bond. In a recent podcast, the right-arm pacer revealed details about his first interaction with Kohli, who captained the Indian team to victory in the Under-19 World Cup.

Ishant revealed “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,”.

He also shared “I somehow got selected for the U-17 trials. I met him in person there. He jokingly told me ‘bhai lower to lele apne size ka (buy a lower of your size)’. I was very shy back then and didn’t know how to interact with others. I didn’t know how big it was to play Delhi U-17. My father always said at least try to get into Ranji Trophy so that you can get a government job. Nobody had thought that I would play India one day,”.