Prolific Delhi opener Sanat Sangwan on how Kohli, Pant helped find his mojo

It took words of encouragement from Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant to change the mindset of Delhi opener Sanat Sangwan and turn him into a prolific run-scorer in the Ranji Trophy this season. Kohli’s motivational address during a Ranji Trophy game last year, combined with Sangwan’s own tryst with meditation, transformed his approach.

It proved to be a memorable season for Sangwan, who piled up 828 runs to finish second on the list of top run-getters, behind teammate Ayush Doseja’s 949.

Sangwan made his Ranji Trophy debut in the 2024–25 season, but had little to show for it. He scored 385 runs in seven matches at an average of 38.50, with just two half-centuries. However, in the same number of matches in 2025–26, the left-hander appeared a completely transformed batter.

He began the season with a double century against Hyderabad in the league opener for Delhi and finished with a century against the team’s traditional rivals, Mumbai. In 14 innings, the 25-year-old aggregated 828 runs at a stellar average of 69, including three centuries and three half-centuries.

But, Despite the heroics of Doseja and Sangwan, Delhi failed to progress beyond the league stage for the seventh consecutive year.

The turning point

Kohli and Pant’s motivational words, along with his own experiment with meditation, played a key role in changing Sangwan’s outlook. Kohli’s appearance for Delhi’s final league match against Railways at the Feroz Shah Kotla last season proved particularly influential.

“His speech made a lot of difference to my cricket. When he came for that match, the energy he showed in practice was something else. He would do a gym session before the rest of us, then the warm-up, then ‘middlers’ knocking, followed by throwdowns, and only then enter the nets,” Sangwan told Patriot in an interview.

“Looking at his process, I thought if he could do all this at 36, then we are very small. In his speech after that game, he told us to grab every opportunity that comes our way because cricket, especially for batsmen, is such a game that it just takes one ball to get out. He asked us to keep fighting for the team. That changed my mindset towards my cricket,” he said.

Sangwan said that Pant also played a crucial role in his transformation. “Bhayya motivated me a lot. When he captained Delhi against hosts Saurashtra last season, he would repeatedly tell us in team huddles that these five to six hours are the time to give your all, referring to a day’s play,” Sangwan said.

“His words motivated me immensely. He is very positive and constantly encourages us to work hard, as he believes no one knows when the selectors’ call might come,” he said of his senior at Sonnet Club, which Sangwan joined as a 10-year-old in 2010.

Runs start flowing

Sangwan recalled that he often lost focus after reaching the 40s, 70s or 80s last season. “I realised I needed to improve my focus, so I started practising meditation in the off-season. It helped me concentrate better and stay relaxed. It’s a 15-minute daily routine that also involves breathing exercises,” he said.

With Kohli and Pant’s words ringing in his ears, and meditation reinforcing his discipline, Sangwan began the season with a bang — a 470-ball 211 not out (21 fours, three sixes) against hosts Hyderabad at the GenNext ground.

“The first two Delhi wickets fell early. I was seeing the ball well that day, and once I crossed 30 or 40, my confidence grew. I was also familiar with the surroundings, having played there before. It’s an open ground and quite windy,” he said.

It was Doseja’s debut match, and the duo stitched together a mammoth 319-run fourth-wicket partnership that rescued Delhi from 24 for two. “My communication with Ayush is very good. We have played many tournaments together in Delhi and are good friends,” Sangwan said.

The best knock

Despite the double century, Sangwan rated his 218-ball 118 against hosts Mumbai as his best innings of the season.

“It was the most satisfying knock because the seaming conditions at the BKC ground were tough. It was a green-top pitch with good bounce. While a double hundred gives a special feeling, I would rate my century against Mumbai as number one, given the traditional Delhi–Mumbai rivalry,” he said with a chuckle.