New Delhi: Former chairman of selectors Dilip Vengsarkar has made a sensational revelation that he paid a hefty price for selecting Virat Kohli in the Indian squad ahead of S Badrinath for the Sri Lanka tour in 2008. His move to bring Virat in the national setup saw Vengsarkar’s tenure cut short as the chairman of the national selection committee.
Speaking at an event to felicitate sports journalist in Mumbai, the former India batsman accused the then BCCI treasurer N Srinivasan and former India skipper MS Dhoni for favouring the Tamil Nadu batsman.
Badrinath was a part of Chennai Super Kings, a team promoted by India Cements which has N Srinivasan as its owner and Dhoni was the captain of Chennai Super Kings.
Recalling the incident from the year 2008 when the selectors met to announce the limited-overs squad for Sri Lanka tour, Vengsarkar said he was very keen to hand Virat Kohli his debut after watching him from close quarters during the emerging players tournament which was held in Australia in 2008. Virat Kohli impressed the chairman of the selection committee with a stunning 123-run knock against New Zealand.
"There was an Emerging Players tournament between Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and India in 2008," Vengsarkar said. "We decided to send only Under-23 players for this tour. That year, we had won the U-19 World Cup as well, and Virat Kohli was the captain of that team. We included him in that team.
"I went to Brisbane to watch those matches. This match was against New Zealand, and they had a stronger side than us. They had a few Test players too. In that match, he scored 123 not out, and I knew we needed to play him in the Indian team.”
However, MS Dhoni and Coach Gary Kirsten were not convinced and rather wanted Badrinath to be rewarded for his 800 runs for Tamil Nadu in the domestic circuit that year.
"I felt the ODI leg of the Sri Lanka tour was an ideal situation to include him in the squad," Vengsarkar said. "The other four selectors told me, 'Dilip bhai we will do whatever you say. There is no problem at all.' But Gary Kirsten and Dhoni were reluctant because they said they hadn't seen Kohli before. I told them, 'You haven't seen him but I have. This boy needs to play.'
"I knew that Badrinath was from the south and he was from Chennai Super Kings. From N Srinivasan's team. He would have to miss out if Kohli had to be picked. And that happened. I picked Virat Kohli, and Badrinath went out."
Vengsarkar says that the selection committee meeting was not the last resistance he faced, the following day, he asked me, “on what basis Badrinath was axed, and I explained that I had been on the Emerging Players tour to Australia where I saw Virat, who is an exceptional player and that is why he is in the team. He argued that Badrinath has scored over 800 runs for Tamil Nadu. I told him that he will get his chance,” added Vengsarkar.
“The very next day, Srinivasan took (Kris) Srikkanth, who succeeded Vengasarkar as a chief selector, to the then BCCI president Sharad Pawar, and that was the end of my selection tenure," Vengsarkar concluded.
Though Badrinath was left out of the squad initially but an injury to Sachin Tendulkar helped him get drafted in the Indian squad. Badrinath made his ODI debut in the second ODI and played 3 matches in the series, with scores of 27* and 6 while Virat Kohli went on to play all 5 matches, scoring 12, 37, 25, 54 and 31.