Priyank Panchal, a former Gujarati batsman who recently declared his retirement from all cricket-related activities, recently reminisced about his early U-15 days spent with former India captain Virat Kohli, who has also ended his Test career.
In a reminiscence from their time together at the Under-15 National Cricket Academy (NCA), Panchal, who finished his career as a domestic mainstay, said that when the two first reunited in 2021, Virat Kohli recalled an event that happened on the pitch between them and started laughing.
“I’ve known Virat Kohli since our time as U-15 NCAs. Back when I was fat, I had fallen in the middle of the crease while running with him. He recalled the anecdote years later in 2021 and laughed out loud. “A gem of a person,” he wrote on Twitter.
I know of Virat since our U-15 NCA days. I used to be chubby back then and had fallen midway in the crease while completing a run with him. Years later, in 2021, he still remembered that story and burst out laughing. Gem of a person #ViratKohli𓃵 https://t.co/vOsIBs8k2z
— Priyank Panchal (@PKpanchal09) June 27, 2025
Priyank Panchal said “Virat Kohli is very down to earth and welcoming. He still remembers a funny incident we had together in age-group cricket. I didn’t expect him to still remember that incident, but he does.” pic.twitter.com/PFnJpU6pvH
— RCBIANS OFFICIAL (@RcbianOfficial) June 26, 2025
Priyank Panchal compares Virat Kohli to Michael Jordan.
Following a 14-year red-ball career in which he played in 123 matches, amassed 9230 runs, and captained India in 68 Test matches, Kohli announced in May 2025 that he was retiring from Test cricket. Prior to the five-match Test series against England, he made his choice public. Panchal was disappointed to see a player like Virat leaving the format and complimented the Delhi native on his remarkable career.
“I’m really glad to see you achieve such amazing success. It has been an honour to observe your journey up close, from our first days at the NCA camp during the U-15s to our brief encounter during a Test series. Congrats on an incredible career in Test cricket. It’s unfortunate to see a player of Virat’s calibre retire when he still has so much talent for Test cricket. It’s simply the age-old conflict between a higher peak and a longer peak. Like Michael Jordan, Virat played with the most energy, but #ViratKohli, it would have been hard to sustain it. After Virat Kohli declared his retirement, Panchal tweeted, “There’s a lot of cricket left in Kohli.”
Panchal amassed over 8850 first-class runs, 3672 in List A, and 1522 in Twenty20 cricket. He did not, however, play for India. Panchal was a member of winning teams in every format, including the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (2014–15), Vijay Hazare Trophy (2015–16), and Ranji Trophy (2016–17). He was included in India’s Test team for the 2021 trip of South Africa, however he was never given the opportunity to don the Indian cap. In May 2025, Panchal’s 17-year career came to an end.
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