On Friday, former Gujarat batter Priyank Panchal shared an affectionate message for Indian cricket star Virat Kohli, recounting a funny and touching incident from their Under-15 playing days. Panchal, who recently retired from domestic cricket after a distinguished career, spoke about the moment that revealed not just Kohli’s sense of humour but also his lasting memory and genuine personality.
Reflecting on an old memory, Priyank Panchal explained how he once tripped and fell midway on the crease while completing a run alongside Kohli during their U-15 National Cricket Academy (NCA) camp days. Panchal admitted that he used to be a bit chubby back then, which made the moment even more memorable.
What took him by surprise was that 18 years later, when the two met again in 2021, Kohli immediately recalled the incident and burst out laughing. Panchal tweeted about this on Friday, “I have known of Virat since our U-15 NCA days. I used to be chubby back then and had fallen midway in the crease while completing a run with him. Years later, in 2021, he still remembered that story and burst out laughing. Gem of a person.”
https://x.com/PKpanchal09/status/1938490255004360750
Priyank Panchal’s admiration for Kohli didn’t stop there. He praised the former Indian captain for his incredible journey and success, In another tweet, he wrote, “Truly happy to see you reach such remarkable heights. From our early days at the NCA camp during the U-15s to the brief time we shared during a Test series, it’s been a privilege to witness your journey up close.”
Virat Kohli recently announced his retirement from Test cricket, bringing an end to a glorious 14-year red ball career that spanned 123 matches, with 9230 runs and 68 Tests as captain. He made his retirement announcement just before the start of the ongoing five-match Test series against England. In Virat Kohli’s absence, India suffered a defeat in the first Test, despite five batters scoring centuries, as England chased down a formidable 371-run target in the fourth innings to take a 1-0 lead.
Priyank Panchal, who bowed out of the game in February this year, left behind an impressive record in Indian domestic cricket. He amassed over 8850 runs in first-class cricket, 3672 runs in List A matches and 1522 runs in T20s.
His contributions were vital in helping Gujarat win all the three major domestic titles — the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2015. Though he was included in the Indian Test squad for the 2021 South Africa tour, he never got the opportunity to make his debut in the national team.
Virat Kohli is certainly the gem of a person.
