Priyansh Arya asks Dahiya how Kohli would have approached Delhi’s 320-run chase in Ranji draw

Priyansh Arya was dismissed trying to help Delhi chase 320 in 54 overs on day four of their Ranji Trophy match against Services in New Delhi on Thursday, and on returning to the dressing room he asked coach Vijay Dahiya, "How would Virat Kohli have approached this chase?" Dahiya revealed the anecdote after the game.

The 25-year-old southpaw began the run chase by striking off-spinner Pulkit Narang for a six off the first ball but could not prolong his stay; he pulled all-rounder Jayant Goyat to Nitin Tanwar in the deep and fell for a run-a-ball 15. Dahiya said the episode underlined Priyansh’s eagerness to learn and the dressing room’s reverence for Kohli, who turned 38 on Thursday. Those details emerged alongside the match assessment following the fourth-day play.

Delhi had secured a first-innings lead of 78 runs on Wednesday but, after Priyansh’s dismissal and Ayush Badoni’s leg-before in the 11th over, the visitors were left with little option other than to settle for a draw. The team was unable to force a result that would have converted the lead into a full six points, and play effectively petered out once those two wickets fell.

Vijay Dahiya expressed clear dissatisfaction with the overall showing. "I’m disappointed with the performance. We knew all along what was on the line before the game started. The approach was to try and take the maximum points out of this game," Dahiya stated. He added: "When you want to win a game in this format, you have to dictate terms. And we didn’t dictate any session. So, we are disappointed because we wanted the maximum out of this game to stay alive."

The outcome left the seven-time champion unable to capitalise on the first-innings advantage and denied them the full points they sought. After four matches Delhi have compiled just seven points, a tally that leaves their prospects for the knockout stage in a precarious position.

With seven points from four games, their chances of reaching the knockouts when the competition resumes in January appear wafer-thin.