‘He burst out laughing’ – Former Gujarat batter recalls U-15 NCA days with Virat Kohli

Former Gujarat batter Priyank Panchal, who recently announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, recently recalled his early U-15 days with former India captain Virat Kohli, who too has drawn the curtain on his Test career.

Panchal, who ended his career as a domestic stalwart, shared a memory from their Under-15 National Cricket Academy (NCA) days and revealed that when the two met each other in 2021, Kohli remembered an on-field incident involving the two and burst out laughing while recalling it.

“I know of Virat since our U-15 NCA days. I used to be chubby back then and had fallen midway in the crease while completing a run with him. Years later, in 2021, he still remembered that story and burst out laughing. Gem of a person,” he tweeted.

Virat is like Michael Jordan: Priyank Panchal

Meanwhile, in May 2025, Kohli confirmed his decision to retire from Test cricket, ending a 14-year red-ball career where he featured in 123 matches, scoring 9230 runs, and led India in 68 Tests. He announced his decision ahead of the five-match Test series against England. Panchal congratulated the Delhi-born for his illustrious career and was disheartened to see a player like Virat stepping away from the format.

“Truly happy to see you reach such remarkable heights. From our early days at the NCA camp during the U-15s to the brief time we shared during a Test series, it’s been a privilege to witness your journey up close. Congratulations on a phenomenal Test career. Sad to see a player of Virat’s caliber retire when there was such great Test cricket left in him. It’s just the classic quandary of a longer peak vs a higher peak. Virat, like Michael Jordan, played w the greatest intensity but sustaining it would’ve been difficult #ViratKohli. There’s significant cricket left in Virat Kohli,” Panchal tweeted after Kohli announced his retirement.

Panchal scored over 8850 first-class runs while he had 3672 runs in List A,and 1522 in T20s. However, he never played for India. Panchal was part of title-winning teams across all formats – the Ranji Trophy (2016-17), Vijay Hazare Trophy (2015-16), and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (2014-15). Despite being named in India’s Test squad for the South Africa tour in 2021, he did not get a chance to wear the India cap. After a 17-year-long career, Panchal ended his career in May 2025.