- News>
- IPL
Blunder of the decade: Delhi Daredevils picked this player over Virat Kohli in 2008 U-19 IPL draft
As per the IPL draft norms, each franchise had the option to select two Under-19 players ahead of the inaugural edition.
New Delhi: Vijay Mallya recently admitted he had no clue that Virat Kohli would go on to become the world's best batsman when the Royal Challengers Bangalore acquired him at the Indian Premier League's U-19 draft in 2008.
The right-hander has been one of the main reasons behind transforming RCB into one of the most feared teams in the tournament.
Virat is also one of the very few players to have represented a single franchise in all nine editions of the cash-rich league.
RCB though should consider themselves lucky as they got hold of India's U-19 captain only after he was rejected by the Delhi Daredevils.
As per the IPL draft norms, each franchise had the option to select two Under-19 players ahead of the inaugural edition.
Delhi Daredevils had the first pick and went for Pradeep Sangwan over Kohli, shelling out $50,000 for the pacer. RCB then secured the services of Virat for $30,000.
Sangwan went on to represent Delhi for three years but could never make the cut at the national level.
In the recently concluded IPL season, Sangwan was part of the Gujarat Lions camp but failed to find a spot in the playing eleven.
Considering Virat's stature in world cricket at the moment, one has to term this decision of the DD think-tank as the blunder of the decade.