Ahead of the upcoming ODI series against the West Indies, former India player Sanjay Bangar has recalled his first impressions of Virat Kohli. He added that Kohli seemed slightly overconfident while playing a Vijay Hazare Trophy game for Delhi against Railways as well. India will take on the West Indies in a three-match ODI series, with the first match taking place in Thiruvananthapuram on September 27 as well. Although the selectors haven’t yet picked the Indian squad for the series, Kohli was a virtual certainty as well.

On ‘The Great Indian Cricket Show’ on DD Sports, Bangar said, “The first time I saw him was while playing domestic cricket. I was playing for Railways at that time. He came to play the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Delhi. I saw that his body language was different. He hadn’t played much for the Indian team then, but he was owning his space. He looked slightly overconfident. In a way, I liked it because a guy was owning his space.”

“I scored around 60 runs, and we had set a good target for Delhi. They came and chased it, and he made a hundred in that. So I got to see his cricketing ability and body language. Tremendous self-belief. Those were my first impressions of Virat Kohli,” Bangar shared.

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However, Sanjay Bangar also shared about Virat Kohli’s transition on and off the field.

“The on-the-field drive has remained consistent. Whether you see the Virat Kohli of 2011 or the one of 2026, there is no difference on the field. However, off the field, the change has happened in the way he looks at life. He has kept improving his understanding,” he added.

“I would say that over a period of time, his growth as a person has been different. However, as a player, the consistency, drive, and energy he had in 2011 remain today as well. It was fire and fire earlier. Now it is a combination of ice and fire,” Sanjay Bangar concluded.