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‘He sent Virat to Austalia where he got a hundred in final’: Veteran administrator lauds ex-selector for promoting Kohli
Veteran cricket administrator Prof Ratnakar Shetty reserved special praise for former Chairman of selectors for his decision to introduce former India skipper Virat Kohli to the national side.
Former India skipper Virat Kohli was brought into the team during Dilip Vengsarkar's tenure as the Chairman of Selectors. Vengsarkar sent Kohli out for different assignments and has been credited by veteran cricket administrator Prof Ratnakar Shetty for his contribution and acute decision-making.
While speaking at his book launch ‘On Board - My years in BCCI’, which was officially unveiled by former BCCI boss Sharad Pawar, Shetty reserved special praise for Vengsarkar, implying he was the best.
“I have not seen a chairman in selection committee better than Dilip Vengsarkar in my tenure in BCCI," Shetty said after his book ‘On Board - My years in BCCI’ was launched here by former BCCI chief Sharad Pawar.
"We celebrated Virat Kohli’s 100 Test, but I know the truth that when he came back from ICC World Cup U-19, he (Vengsarkar) pushed him (Kohli) into the Emerging player’s tournament, sent him to Australia where Virat got a hundred in the final, which we won.
"He came back (and) Dilip introduced him into the Indian team and brought him into this mainstream of Indian cricket,” he recalled.
Shetty, who has worked closely with former India captain Vengsarkar, a veteran of 116 Tests, also threw light on the 'Colonel’s' tenure as the chief national selector.
“Not only that, even in the Greg Chappell era, difficult times in Indian cricket, some of the cricketers were left in the lurch at that time, many of them came back to play for India when he (Vengsarkar) became chairman of selection committee.
"Because, he had that power and he could take such decisions. That was Dilip Vengsarkar,” added Shetty, who is a chemistry professor by profession.
According to Shetty, Pawar, the former ICC, BCCI and MCA chief, “had the knack of getting things done”.
Pawar launched the book in the presence of Vengsarkar, Mumbai Cricket Association President Dr Vijay Patil, and a host of former India and first class cricketers, including Balwinder Singh Sandhu, Diana Edulji, Nilesh Kulkarni, Chandrakant Pandit and others.
