Himanshu Sangwan became an overnight sensation after he claimed Virat Kohli’s wicket on day two of the Ranji Trophy game between Delhi and Railways at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. After Delhi’s overnight batters, Sanat Sangwan and Yash Dhull, made the crowd (in abundance) wait for over an hour to watch their hometown hero play, Sangwan spoilt it for them by sending Kohli packing for just six.

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Kohli last played a Ranji game in November 2012 (against Uttar Pradesh), and upon returning to playing domestic cricket after over 12 years, he failed to leave a mark, though he smashed Himanshu for a straight drive (for a four) on the previous ball.

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Meanwhile, Railways seamer Kunal Yadav had beaten Kohli (outside off stump) twice on two balls in the previous over; to avoid getting in the same position again, he approached Himanshu (walking down the crease) in the next over only to miss the incoming delivery, which broke his off stump.

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Reflecting on his big wicket, Sangwan said it (Kohli’s dismissal) was the biggest moment of his cricket career. 

"It is the most important wicket of my life. It goes without saying. Virat Kohli is an inspiration to the whole country. First time in (my) life, I saw so many people turning up for a Ranji Trophy game. It was special for all of us," Himanshu said after the day’s play.

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Elaborating on what went behind the scenes, on tackling Kohli’s game, Sangwan said the Railways bowlers didn’t plan around one batter, instead they worked on the bigger goal.

"We did not have any special plan for Kohli. Since all Delhi batters play aggressive cricket, our plan was to bowl in the channel. If you do not give runs to an aggressive batter, he will try a big shot and get out. Perhaps the same happened with him,” he continued.

No Kohli show, but Delhi on top

Meanwhile, Kohli’s dismissal saw Delhi reeling at 86 for three, trailing Railways by 155 runs. Delhi captain Ayush Badoni impressed everyone with his stellar 99, while Sumit Mathur’s 86 helped Delhi recover; they eventually got all out on 374, securing a 133-run lead.

On day three, Delhi reduced Railways to 76 for five before tea, with Shivam Sharma returning with two wickets. The India international Navdeep Saini also returned with one wicket thus far. 

(With inputs from agencies)