Former India opener Virender Sehwag has shed light on a decision from the inaugural Indian Premier League season in 2008, explaining why Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) went with Pradeep Sangwan rather than a young Virat Kohli. Speaking on JioHotstar, Sehwag pointed to the squad balance at the time\u2014especially the way the franchise\u2019s batting plans were already crowded\u2014and said Delhi did not have the flexibility to fit another top-order batter into the playing XI while also needing bowling support.<\/p>\n
Sehwag recalled that Delhi\u2019s lineup back then included multiple specialist batters, making team selection a juggling act. He noted that Shikhar Dhawan and Tillakaratne Dilshan were both part of the group, with Dhawan and Dilshan primarily treated as openers. However, because Sehwag and Gautam were the regular pair at the top, those batsmen were often promoted or adjusted to positions like three and five. Manoj Tiwary, meanwhile, was operating around the number four slot, leaving Delhi with a heavy concentration of top-order talent and limited room to reshuffle the batting order without disrupting the team\u2019s established structure.<\/p>\n
In that context, Sehwag said Kohli was also being considered as a top-order option, but the franchise still had to make a clear priority choice. \u201cVirat Kohli was also batting at three or four,\u201d Sehwag explained, adding that there was simply no opening in the batting order to accommodate him. He then underlined the bigger issue: Delhi\u2019s need for an additional bowling option at the time. With the bowling requirement driving the XI, the franchise ultimately opted for Pradeep Sangwan instead of Kohli.<\/p>\n
Sehwag\u2019s remarks also serve as a reminder of how differently the early auctions played out across franchises. During the first IPL auction, Royal Challengers Bangalore (now Bengaluru) bought the young Kohli for Rs 12 lakh. Over time, Kohli went on to become one of the most successful names in the franchise\u2019s history.<\/p>\n
For the Bengaluru-based side, Kohli has since accumulated 8,889 runs across 272 matches and 262 innings in IPL cricket. His record includes eight centuries and 65 half-centuries, with an average of 39.86, underlining both his longevity and consistency in the format.<\/p>\n
In the current IPL 2026 campaign, Kohli has continued to be central to RCB\u2019s batting plans. He is leading the run charts with 228 runs in five matches, including two fifties\u2014another chapter in a journey that began with a decision made on team balance back in 2008.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Former India opener Virender Sehwag has shed light on a decision from the inaugural Indian Premier League season in 2008, explaining why Delhi Daredevils (now…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":3144,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"IPL 2008: Sehwag on Delhi\u2019s choice of Pradeep Sangwan","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Sehwag reveals why Delhi Daredevils picked Pradeep Sangwan over a young Virat Kohli in IPL 2008, citing squad balance and batting plans.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3145","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n