Former Indian all-rounder Sanjay Bangar recalled the first impressions of Virat Kohli while playing against him in the domestic circuit. Bangar said he was playing for Railways when he saw Kohli playing for Delhi in the Vijay Hazare Trophy for the first time.
The former Indian batting coach revealed that Kohli had a different aura and he was owning his space even when he was trying to rise through the ranks as a youngster. Kohli went to take massive strides at the top level and has delivered consistently in all three formats for India.
“The first time I saw him was while playing domestic cricket. I was playing for Railways at that time. He came to play the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Delhi. I saw that his body language was different. He hadn’t played much for the Indian team then, but he was owning his space. He looked slightly overconfident. In a way, I liked it because a guy was owning his space,” Sanjay Bangar said on Great Indian Cricket show on DD sports.
Bangar recalled that Kohli scored a match-winning century while playing for Delhi.
“I scored around 60 runs, and we had set a good target for Delhi. They came and chased it, and he made a hundred in that. So I got to see his cricketing ability and body language. Tremendous self-belief. Those were my first impressions of Virat Kohli,” Bangar observed.
Bangar added that Kohli’s on-the-field drive has remained consistent in his long career.
“The on-the-field drive has remained consistent. Whether you see the Virat Kohli of 2011 or the one of 2026, there is no difference on the field. However, off the field, the change has happened in the way he looks at life. He has kept improving his understanding,” he replied.
The cricketer-turned-commentator reckons Kohli is now a combination of ice and fire.
“I would say that over a period of time, his growth as a person has been different. However, as a player, the consistency, drive, and energy he had in 2011 remain today as well. It was fire and fire earlier. Now it is a combination of ice and fire,” Bangar noted.
Kohli will be seen in action in the upcoming ODI series against the West Indies.
