Virat Kohli’s U-19 Teammate And Income Tax Inspector Ajitesh Argal Returns To Cricket

Virat Kohli's U-19 teammates Ajitesh Argal and Tanmay Srivastava have cleared umpiring examination and are set to become BCCI umpires.

MILLIONS of Indians dream of becoming a cricketer but only a handful of lucky players get to don the Indian jersey. It takes immense dedication and tremendous support to back your passion because the risk-reward ratio is significantly high. Many young players give up their dreams to opt for a less rewardable but safer career option.

The same was the case with Virat Kohli’s U-19 teammate Ajitesh Argal. The bowler would have expected a skyrocketing career after delivering a match-winning performance in the 2008 U-19 World Cup final. Argal’s spell of 2-7 ensured that Virat Kohli-led India win the U-19 World Cup in Malaysia.

Argal, who was a fast bowler and a handy lower-order batter, got rewarded with a selection in the Kings XI Punjab for the IPL 2008. However, destiny had other plans and Argal went on to become an income-tax inspector owing to stiff competition.

He opted for a safer future but the passion for the sport did not die. It is the same passion that has brought him back into the game. Argal has cleared the umpiring examinations and will soon be seen as a BCCI umpire.

Another member of Virat Kohli’s U-19 World Cup winning team, Tanmay Srivastava has also cleared the umpiring examination and is set to undergo an orientation program later this month.

Meanwhile, Argal had a short career as a player and played 10 First Class matches, six T20s and three List A matches taking a total of 29 wickets for Baroda. Tanmay Srivastava, on the other hand, tasted a bit of success and played 90 First Class matches, 44 List A matches and 34 T20 matches, including eight IPL games, and scored over 7000 runs.