Sanjay Jha, who has been the chef at the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) for the past 20 years, reveals what Virat Kohli has requested him for lunch on Day 1 of the Ranji Trophy match against Railways, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
“Wo pehle chicken chilli bahut khaata tha. Iss baar unhone paneer chilli banane ko bola (When he was young, he used to love chicken chilli, but for today he has requested me to cook chilli paneer for him,” Sanjay Jha tells The Indian Express.
“He personally met me yesterday after the training session and requested me for chilli paneer. He called me by name ‘Sanjay ji.’ Itna badaa aadmi ban gayaa hai lekin mera naam yaad hai usko (He has become so big now. He still remembers my name.)
“For the past two days after the practice session he had requested for Kadhi Chawal.”
Kohli is playing in his first Ranji Trophy match in 12 years. At the Arun Jaitley Stadium, nee Kotla, he is playing after 14 years.
More stands will be open
DDCA secretary Ashok Kumar Sharma has said that after the overwhelming response they received in Day 1, the association is going to open more stands for the fans.
“We are planning to open Mohinder Amarnath Stand for the next two days,” he told The Indian Express.
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“We were expecting around 10,000 fans but this is beyond our expectations.
“I hope he will also play in our Delhi Premier League (DPL),” he laughed.
The state association has thrown the game open for free entry to the public, with the only caveat that the fans should bring along their Aadhaar card.
Initially, gate numbers 16 and 17 were open for the crowd to get in. However, as there was a rise in fans flooding in, DDCA opened gate number 18 to accommodate safe passage into the stadium. But police failed to control the crowd and had to resort to lathi charge to keep everyone in check.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
