Hyderabad: In contemporary cricket, Virat Kohli is one of the most prolific batsmen, and with combined 70 centuries in ODI and Test cricket he is now way ahead of his contemporaries. Soon after leading India U-19 to World Cup triumph in 2008, he was on the radar for selection in the senior team. Then chairman of selection committee Dilip Vengsarkar wanted to Kohli give a chance, but former captain MS Dhoni and Gary Kirsten were not in favour of the idea.
However, Vengsarkar, who was himself a technically sound batsman, had no doubt about Kohli's potential as a top-notch batsman. So, he didn't change his decision. But Vengsarkar's decision, which later proved to be a well-sighted move as Kohli now continues to dominate world cricket like no other, came at a cost as he was sacked from his position.
The former India captain Vengsarkar said his decision came at a price as he gave preference to talented youngster Kohli over Tamil Nadu cricketer S. Badrinath in 2008.
Vengsarkar had recommended Kohli's name during a selection committee meeting for the bilateral series in Sri Lanka in 2008. He felt that the U-19 World Cup winning players should also be given chances to hone their skills. As Kohli was a talented protege so he deserves a chance.