The player who made Kohli the world champion 18 years ago, didn’t get a chance in IPL so became an IT officer, now made his debut

Ajitesh Argal Umpire: Every year many unknown players make headlines with their performances in IPL and their struggle stories inspire fans. Some move forward after seeing Sachin Tendulkar, while others dream of becoming a finisher like MS Dhoni. Many youth aspire to become a chase master like Virat Kohli.

But a different story emerged in the Indian Premier League 2026—this time the discussion is not about a player, but about an umpire. The special thing is that this umpire has once won the World Cup with Kohli and now can take decisions in front of him. This is the story of Ajitesh Argal, who debuted as an umpire this season.

Ajitesh shone in the Under-19 World Cup

Ajitesh Argal was a fast bowler and he performed brilliantly in the 2008 Under-19 World Cup final. Ravindra Jadeja and Manish Pandey were also included in that team. In the low-scoring final against South Africa, Ajitesh took 2 wickets for just 7 runs in 5 overs and became the player of the match.

Didn’t get a chance as a player in IPL

When the IPL started in 2008, Kohli joined Royal Challengers Bangalore, Jadeja went to Rajasthan Royals, while Ajitesh was bought by Punjab Kings. However, he never got a chance to play.

After this he joined Baroda team in domestic cricket, but did not get much success. He took 24 wickets in about 10 first class matches and played only in limited opportunities. Gradually he started moving away from cricket.

2023 becomes the turning point

After not getting much opportunities in cricket, Ajitesh started working in the Income Tax Department through sports quota. But in 2023, he decided to return to the field again and passed the BCCI umpiring exam. After this, he made his mark by umpiring in Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, WPL and India A matches.

Also read- IPL 2026: Gujarat flies under Kohli’s storm, RCB’s entry in top-2, these teams are in danger of being out.

Now decisions can be taken in front of Kohli

Ajitesh Argal has debuted as an umpire in IPL 2026. On 22 April, he umpired on the field for the first time in the match between Lucknow Super Giants and Rajasthan Royals. Now, if he gets a chance to umpire in an RCB match in the future, then he can be seen taking decisions in front of the same Virat Kohli, with whom he once won the World Cup. This story depicts the unique journey from a player to becoming an umpire which is a strong example of struggle, patience and comeback.