Remember Ajitesh Argal from Virat Kohli-led India’s victorious 2008 Under-19 World Cup winning team? Argal made a 160-run defense in the final against South Africa and created an effective new-ball attack, dismissing Pieter Malan and Rilee Rossouw to play a major role in India’s victory.
Argal’s figures of 2/7 in five overs broke the backbone of the South African run which also earned him the Man of the Match award. This victory thrust Kohli into the limelight, becoming a successful Indian captain and eventually one of the greatest batsmen in modern cricket.
The duo never played cricket together again, but life came to a close when Kohli and Argal met again on the cricket field on April 27 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). While Kohli was in his usual Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) jersey, Argal stood as one of the on-field umpires in IPL 2026.
While Kohli smoked Delhi Capitals’ T Natarajan for two back-to-back sixes to lead RCB to a comprehensive nine-wicket victory, the former RCB skipper made it a point to meet his old friend and walk out of the ground with a hug.
What made Ajitesh Argal take the decision?
After the 2008 Under-19 World Cup, the BCCI decided that all winning members would get a squad in the inaugural season of the IPL. As said earlier, Argal was picked up by Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) but never got to play a single game.
A medium fast bowler, Argal did not run much at the domestic level. He made his first-class debut for Baroda in 2008. In total, Argal played 10 first-class matches, three List A matches and six T20s before ending his short career in 2013. After his cricket career, Argal worked in the Income Tax Department and prepared for the BCCI umpiring exams.
He finally passed the BCCI umpiring exams in 2023 and has been active in domestic cricket ever since. Argal’s big break in the refereeing role came in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) earlier this year, where she played four matches.
However, he finally made his long-awaited IPL debut in 2026 in a game between Lucknow Super Giants vs Rajasthan Royals at the Ekana Stadium. He also participated in the Delhi Capitals vs. Punjab Kings in which many records were rewritten.
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