Railways' pacer Himanshu Sangwan suddenly became talk of the town after taking the prized wicket of Virat Kohli during Ranji Trophy 2025 clash against Delhi. More than Virat Kohli, who was making his Ranji Trophy return after 12 years, it was Himanshu Sangwan who was buzzing around the social media.
Virat Kohli's struggles with form continued in his return to the Ranji Trophy, as the superstar batter failed to make any impact at the domestic level. Playing for Delhi against Railways at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Kohli's appearance at number four generated considerable excitement among the fans. However, their anticipation was quickly dampened by Railways bowler Himanshu Sangwan. Sangwan delivered a superb ball that uprooted Kohli's off-stump, silencing the stadium. While Sangwan celebrated his crucial wicket, even Kohli, who scored just 6 off 15 balls, appeared surprised by the ball's movement. Despite the early loss of Kohli, Delhi ended the day in a relatively strong position, finishing at 334-7 in response to Railways' first innings total of 241.
Himanshu Sangwan reveals he was abused by a section of crowd
But Sangwan had to consume a lot of hate from fans after taking Kohli's wicket. He was met with hostile reactions from the crowd. Many of the 10,000 spectators present resorted to verbal abuse directed at Sangwan. He revealed that he was abused by a section of crowd.
“When I went back to the boundary line people were saying things. Yaar, hum Kohli ko dekhne aaye aur aapne out kar diya, kuch gaaliyan bhi thi (We came here to watch Virat Kohli bat and there were few abuses also). However after a while, a group of boys also cheered me and congratulated me for my good bowling,” Sangwan told Indian Express after the day’s play.
The 29-year-old seamer Sangwan was just another first-class cricketer in India. He had played Under-19 cricket for Delhi, debuting alongside Rishabh Pant in the 2013-14 season. Originally from Charki Dadri in Haryana, Sangwan spent his formative years in the Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan. His father, Surendra Singh Sangwan, is a bank manager, and his mother, Bhagwan Rati, is a teacher.
It is the most important wicket of my life: Himanshu Sangwan
Kohli's highly anticipated return to the Ranji Trophy after a 12-year and three-month hiatus was cut short after just 15 balls. Railways' seamer Sangwan, who previously worked as a senior ticket collector and is now stationed at the New Delhi Railway Station, silenced the enthusiastic crowd with a stunning delivery. The excitement surrounding Kohli's presence lasted a mere 21 minutes. Sangwan's delivery sent Kohli's off-stump cartwheeling, leaving the star batsman visibly dejected. Kohli briefly lingered at the crease, observing the scattered stumps, before slowly making his way back to the dugout.
Sangwan then admitted that Kohli's wicket was the most important wicket of his life
“It is the most important wicket of my life. There was no special plan, I just wanted to stick to my strength, which is bowl full,” Sangwan added.
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