Ricky Ponting is considered one of the greatest players to have ever graced the game; his words carry immense value. Before becoming a full-time coach, Ponting dabbled in the profession temporarily in 2019. He was appointed Australia’s assistant coach, with the ODI World Cup 2019 approaching and an away Ashes series to follow.
Australia didn’t end up winning either. But his presence had a huge effect. Later, batters revealed the confidence they got when Ponting, their idol, was giving them throwdowns. Whatever his advice was, just a ‘good shot’ was enough for them to feel confident. Some may not realise this, but even a ‘well done’ from someone as revered as Ponting could go a long way.
The Virat Kohli effect
Something similar happened earlier in the year when Virat Kohli played for Delhi after 13 years. Undoubtedly the world’s best batter across formats since his debut, his presence was enough to have an impact. Not just on batters but even bowlers. They didn’t even know that this would be the last opportunity that he’d be amongst them, since he retired just 4 months later from red-ball cricket.
But Kohli had made an impact, especially on Siddhant Sharma. The left-arm fast bowler had performed well for Delhi in his single outing in the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy season. He succeeded with both bat and ball against Assam in his first game of the next season but struggled thereafter. Luckily, Delhi picked him for another game, and Siddhant got the chance to share the field with Kohli.
Kohli’s advice to Siddhant Sharma
The Delhi legend couldn’t leave an impact on the scorecard, but Siddhant worked his magic. All three of his wickets in the match were top-order batters, including Railways captain Suraj Ahuja, whose scalp he got both times. Since that meeting with Kohli, things have worked out in Siddhant’s favour.
Last week, Siddhant was named captain of the Outer Delhi Warriors over Priyansh Arya. The leadership of one of the two new teams in the Delhi Premier League (DPL) has been handed to the 28-year-old. And Siddhant’s ready to show everyone why such faith has been shown in him.
In an exclusive conversation with InsideSport, Siddhant revealed what kinds of tips Kohli gave him in January. The little things he told him may help him go a long way.
“Yes, he shared quite a bit. About batting, bowling, and how to plan. We chatted about how to read the pitch, what the batters will be thinking about doing next, and how I can plan accordingly. He advised me about the areas in which my bowling could improve,” he told InsideSport at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
IPL next
While DPL is a step forward, it isn’t Siddhant’s end goal. He openly stated that playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) is something that’s always there in the back of his mind. That was the case during the DPL 2024 season, and even when he plays domestic cricket for Delhi. Undoubtedly, he wishes to play with Kohli at the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, but for now, all he wants is to have a crack at playing in the world’s best cricket tournament.
“IPL is obviously a goal for every aspiring cricketer. You wish to achieve more, climb the success ladder. The main focus right now is doing well in the DPL, playing well in domestic cricket, and then thinking about bigger things like the IPL,” Siddhant added.
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