A friendly reunion was witnessed in the 39th league match of the ongoing IPL between Bengaluru and Delhi. These two friends were Bengaluru and India’s star batsman Virat Kohli and the match’s umpire Ajitesh Argal. After a long 18 years, both of them were seen together on the ground. India became champions in the Under-19 World Cup held in 2008. Virat Kohli was the captain of the team at that time. In the final match against South Africa, Argal played a key role in the victory by bowling 5 overs and taking 2 wickets for just 7 runs. Argal was adjudged the Player of the Match for his match-winning performance. Ajitesh Argal, who won the World Cup with Virat Kohli, is now umpiring.
The IPL started in 2008 and Argal was a member of the Punjab (then Kings XI Punjab) team. After that, his career in cricket did not progress. He got a job in the Income Tax Department. But his weakness for cricket has once again dragged him back to the ground. He has cleared the BCCI umpire exam and got a chance to officiate matches in the current IPL. After making his debut in the Under-14 team for Madhya Pradesh, he continued his good form and made it to the Under-19 World Cup team. But later he failed to play for the senior team.
Who is Ajitesh Argal? Ajitesh Argal was the hero in the 2008 Under-19 World Cup. He was named Player of the Match for 2 wickets for just 7 runs in 5 overs against South Africa. His performance helped India win the title. His career did not develop as much as Kohli’s. He was selected by the then Kings XI Punjab in the first IPL season. He did not get a chance to play. After getting limited opportunities in domestic cricket as well, he retired from cricket. Argal then joined the Income Tax Department. But his connection with cricket remained unbroken. In 2023, he passed the BCCI umpiring exam and started a new career. He is now umpiring in the IPL. RCB’s Kohli and Ajitesh were seen together on the field in the match against Delhi. Kohli as a player and Argal as an umpire. Kohli’s interaction with Argal after the match became a special moment for the fans. Kohli also achieved another big milestone in this match. He became the first batsman to complete 9000 runs in the IPL.
