It’s Virender Sehwag vs Delhi at Kotla in Ranji Trophy

After Sehwag left Delhi for Haryana this season on a bitter note, this is the first time he will play against Delhi, a team he was identified with ever since he made his mark on the domestic scene.

It’s Viru vs Delhi at Kotla in Ranji Trophy

Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir will be striding out to the Ferozeshah Kotla pitch together, but not as opening partners, that they were for many years, but counterparts. Sehwag’s presence usually generates buzz and excitement. It did on Wednesday too when he came for practice. He parked the car right next to the training area, where the Delhi team was going through the drills. And even as he hovered around the area, customary pleasantries weren’t exchanged. There was no acknowledgement of each other’s presence. Even DDCA officials kept their distance from Sehwag, arguably Delhi’s greatest cricketer. The vibes, sadly, were cold and there was tension in the air.

Delhi coach Vijay Dahiya tried his best to make light of the situation despite seeing Delhi’s own Viru wearing the opponent’s cap. “It’s a match between two teams. That’s how I look at it. We play as a team against a team. If somebody plays as an individual, it’s a different thing,” was Dahiya’s remark after much cajoling from the media.

Sehwag has served Delhi cricket for almost two decades since his junior days. But his departure this season was not without rancour. It seemed to weigh on the minds of both sides, more so on Delhi players and officials. Haryana coach Surendra Bhave, meanwhile, chose to point out the positives the stalwart brought to the table for his unit, more so with an in-form Ishant Sharma looking to extract the most out of a fairly responsive pitch. “Sehwag knows the ground and the Delhi team inside out. He has been fantastic with the younger players. And he is also batting superbly. That should be of great help on a pitch that looks like producing a result,” Bhave said.