Virat Kohli not a familiar face at the Kotla, as DDCA ignores achievers

Delhi has produced some of the greatest match winners for India. But if you take a walk to the Kotla, you will surprised to discover that there is not a single portrait of Virat Kohli in the photo gallery. The Indian captain is known to be a modern great, as he has mastered his batting across all the three formats and lifted India to famous wins in recent times. He is the no. 1 batsman in ODIs and T20Is, and is admired by cricket legends.

But Kotla doesn’t have many memories of the local lad. Kohli, who played for Delhi in Ranji Trophy, was a prolific scorer and was always one of the brightest prospects. He is a World Cup winner and one of the most popular ambassadors of the game in modern times.

‘Hardly unusual, given the state of affairs at the Kotla, this can hardly be called unusual,” said a former Delhi cricketer. The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) has not been known to treat its players with dignity. The facilities for training and practice, confessed another veteran, are an “embarrassment” for a Test center.

No respect for players: Amarnath

Legendary cricketer Mohinder Amarnath feels there is no respect for cricketers at the Kotla. “It is the duty of the associations to honour players who have served with distinction. No player is going to beg for such recognition,” says Amarnath. “Overseas I have seen how former players are given place of honour.”

Naming stands, dressing room, gates and even stadiums after successful athletes is not something new world wide. The Karnataka government had honored Indian legendary spinner Anil Kumble, by naming a traffic circle outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium, for his record breaking 10/74 against Pakistan in the year 1999.

With so many achievers having stamped their hallmark, it will be a great step going forward to put a photo gallery of all these cricketers at the Kotla.