"He is a gold-dust performer" - R Ashwin lauds Ranji Trophy bowler who castled Virat Kohli in Delhi vs Railways clash

Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has lavished praise on Himanshu Sangwan who clean bowled Virat Kohli with a peach in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy clash between Delhi and Railways. The cricketer-turned-YouTuber called Sangwan a ‘gold-dust performer’ while crediting him for the excellent delivery.

Sangwan bowled a delivery that pierced the bat and pad gap before uprooting the off-stump, which fell at least two yards away. As a result, Kohli failed to impress on his Ranji trophy return after over 12 years, departing for just six runs off 15 deliveries at his home ground.

R Ashwin said on his YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat’ (via Indian Express):

“Himanshu Sangwan delivered a phenomenal ball. He is not an ordinary Ranji Trophy bowler. He is a tested performer. He is a gold-dust performer. He bowled an exceptional delivery. There was a gap between pad and bat, it was a class delivery. The ball deserved a wicket.”

Ashwin pointed out the technical glitch in Kohli’s batting, adding:

“I saw him (Virat Kohli) batting. His bat was coming down a little faster. Sometimes, you have to adjust to the speed. When you face 140-145kmph bowlers regularly, you need to adjust to the pace. Time in the middle, nothing can beat it.”

The 38-year-old also slammed a fan for saying the Ranji Trophy was blessed because of Virat Kohli. He retorted:

“Do you even know the history of the Ranji Trophy? It has been going on for so many years. It has been a premier tournament. Sachin Tendulkar, who is a legendary cricketer, used to play the Ranji Trophy at all times. Players benefit from playing in the tournament. For cricket, players are not important, but for players, cricket is very important.”

“Dream come true” – Himanshu Sangan on Virat Kohli’s wicket in Ranji Trophy 2024-25

Although Delhi beat Railways by an innings and 19 runs, Himanshu Sangwan expressed his satisfaction at dismissing Virat Kohli in the Ranji Trophy clash. He said (via ANI):

“People across India draw inspiration from Virat. Picking his wicket was a special moment for me. It was a dream come true.”

Himanshu Sangwan is a former ticket collector who worked at the New Delhi station. The 29-year-old has played 24 first-class matches, picking up 81 wickets, including three five-wicket hauls. He has also bagged 21 and five wickets in 17 List-A games and seven T20s, respectively. As per Sports Tak, he has played with Rishabh Pant for Delhi in U19 cricket.

Besides Virat Kohli, Sangwan also dismissed Mumbai’s Prithvi Shaw and Ajinkya Rahane in his debut season in the Ranji Trophy.