Overview
- Following Monday's nine-wicket win over Delhi Capitals in New Delhi, Virat Kohli greeted on-field umpire Ajitesh Argal, and their reunion clip spread quickly on social media.
- Argal and Kohli were teammates in India’s 2008 U-19 World Cup triumph, where Argal earned Player of the Match in the final with figures of 2 for 7.
- After a short domestic stint and an IPL contract without a debut, Argal left competitive cricket and worked in the Income Tax Department through the sports quota.
- He cleared the BCCI umpiring exams in 2023, officiated domestic fixtures and the Women’s Premier League, and stepped up to the IPL in 2026.
- Kohli also crossed 9,000 IPL runs in the RCB–DC match, and the post-match exchange resonated as a full-circle moment linking a batting milestone with a teammate’s second career at the elite level.