‘Uska West Delhi wala roop nahi dekha kisi ne’: Ishant Sharma opens up on his friendship with RCB star batter

Indian cricket player Ishant Sharma, who currently plays for the Delhi Capitals (DC), recently opened up about his close friendship with former India captain and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batter, Virat Kohli. The two players share a special bond as they both hail from the same locality in Delhi and made their India debuts within a year of each other.

Ishant Sharma made his debut for the Indian cricket team in 2007, while Kohli followed suit in 2008. The two have remained close friends ever since, often sharing light-hearted moments on and off the field. In fact, after a recent match between DC and RCB, Ishant was caught playing a prank on Kohli during their post-match chat.

During an episode of the Delhi Capitals Podcast, Sharma revealed a little-known fact about Kohli’s past. He shared that he had the privilege of witnessing Kohli’s West Delhi phase firsthand while they were playing Under-17 cricket together. 

“Virat Kohli is very nice and sophisticated now. Not many have seen his West Delhi phase. We used to play Under-17s together in Kolkata and of course, we did not have much money. There we would eat egg rolls and have soft drinks after practice, and enjoy it. I’ve seen that side of Virat,” said Sharma.

“Now also, he’s been a captain and is all sophisticated but he is still the same West Delhi boy whenever he meets me. My house is in Patel Nagar and he lives in Mirabagh, both places are close by. Only we can understand our sense of humor. There are so many funny reels made on the internet that only Virat and I can understand,” Sharma added.

In the IPL 2023 season, Ishant Sharma made a remarkable comeback for DC. Meanwhile, Kohli’s recent outstanding performance included scoring a century against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, which helped keep RCB in contention for the playoffs.

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