Virat Kohli won the World Cup, then became an Income Tax Officer, now umpiring in IPL

New Delhi. There is no dearth of stories in the streets of Indian cricket. Here every player has his own struggle and his own destination. Often we talk about those players who reached the heights and became superstars, but there are some stories which teach us that if one path is closed, then how to create a new path on the strength of passion. One such inspiring story is that of Ajitesh Argal. The same Ajitesh who played a big role in India winning the Under-19 World Cup under the captaincy of Virat Kohli in Malaysia in 2008. Today he is seen in a completely new role in IPL 2026.

If we go back in flashback, every Indian cricket lover will remember the 2008 Under-19 World Cup final. India had set a small target in that rain-affected match against South Africa. The match was at a critical juncture, but Baroda’s young fast bowler Ajitesh Argal broke the back of the Proteas batsmen with his precise line and length. He spent only 7 runs in his 5 over spell and took 2 important wickets. On the basis of his economical and lethal bowling, India won the title of world champion and Ajitesh was chosen ‘Player of the Match’ in that historic final.

Ups and downs journey from field to office
At that time, there were players like Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja and Manish Pandey on the field with Ajitesh. Who later became the shining star of world cricket. Paths were open for Ajitesh too, but destiny had something else in store. After that spectacular victory in the World Cup, Ajitesh was included in their team by Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in the very first season of IPL. However, ironically, the player who won the Man of the Match title in the World Cup final did not get a chance to play a single match in that season of IPL. Even in domestic cricket, his journey was not as expected. He played only 10 first class matches, 3 List A and 6 T20 matches in almost a decade while playing for Baroda. Talking about his statistics, he took 24 wickets in first-class cricket, while he took 1 wicket in List A and 4 wickets in T20 format.

When the doors of success on the cricket field slowly started closing, Ajitesh decided to give stability to his future. He got a job in the Income Tax Department through sports quota. For many years, he kept handling government files and performing his duties like a common man, but the cricketer within him was still breathing.

New innings begins with umpiring
Even after staying away from cricket, Ajitesh’s mind remained focused on the field. In the year 2023, he took a bold decision and decided to appear for the BCCI umpiring examination. He not only passed this difficult test, but also dedicated himself to learning the nuances of umpiring. Soon he was seen umpiring in domestic tournaments like Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Her ability can be gauged from the fact that she got the opportunity to umpire in the ODI series played between India-A vs Australia-A in Kanpur and also in the Women’s Premier League (WPL 2026). His impartiality and understanding of the game propelled him to the elite panel of umpires in a very short time.

An unfulfilled dream, a new identity
The long wait of 18 years is finally over. On the IPL field where Ajitesh Argal could never debut as a player, he took his first step as an umpire. In the 32nd match of IPL 2026, which was played between Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giants, Ajitesh Argal made his IPL debut as an umpire. When he came on the field of Lucknow wearing the white umpire’s cap, it was not just the beginning of a match, but the victory of a player’s will to never accept defeat. While his old teammate Virat Kohli is still breaking records with his batting, Ajitesh Argal is now seen giving decisions in the same matches.

This story by Ajitesh Argal tells us that victory and defeat in sports are not limited to the scoreboard alone. Sometimes the biggest victory is to fight your circumstances and create a new identity. Today Ajitesh may not be taking wickets, but his presence on the field is an inspiration for every player whose career had come to a premature end.