Yash Dayal Reveals Chat With Virat Kohli That Inspired Him To Shine In IPL 2024 - WATCH

Star Indian pacer Yash Dayal earned his maiden India Test call-up for the two-match Test series against Bangladesh, which is set to start on Thursday (September 19) in Chennai. The 26-year-old left-arm pacer was in red-hot form for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2024, and then he maintained his performance in the first round matches of Duleep Trophy 2024 as well.

Dayal, who played a big role in RCB’s sensational comeback in the IPL 2024 during a recent conversation with sports presenter Jatin Sapru, has opened up about how Virat Kohli helped him gain confidence and bounce back from a forgetful IPL 2023 season, where he was smashed for five sixes in a row by KKR’s Rinku Singh.

According to him, before the start of RCB’s campaign in IPL 2024, Kohli invited him for a five-minute chat and assured him that the franchise believes in his abilities and will back him throughout the season.

“Ground pe jab main practice kar raha tha… Bhaiya aaye unhonne bola Ki Yash mujhe tujhse kaam hai 5 minute ke liye bas mere ko room mein aaja. Maine kaha maine kya galti kar di. Mai andar gaya, aise bagal mein sofe pe baithaya mujhe ki aa chal baith mere saath. Maine kaha haan bhaiya kya hua (When I was practicing in the ground, Virat Bhaiya came and told Yash, I have some work with you for 5 minutes. Come to my room. I asked, ‘Yes, Bhaiya, what happened?).

“Unhone bola dekh jo cheej Rinku ke sath hui vo uska part tha, lekin vahan se tu apne aapko kam mat samajhana. Unhone apni stories bataiye, unhone connect kiya mujhse fir baith ke wo 5 minute 15-20 minute kab ban gaye mujhe nahi pata. But ek-ek baat mujhe unki dhyan se yaad hai. Unhone bola hum tujhe pure season back karenge. Humne tujhe isi liye pick kiya. Tu acha kar na kar lekin jab bhi tu ground mein utarega tu khush rehna chahiye, excited rehna chahiye (He said what happened with Rinku was his part, but from there you don’t feel you are less. Then Kohli Bhaiya told his stories and connected with me; that 5 minutes became 15-20 minutes. I remember each and everything of him. He told me that we (RCB) will back you the whole season; that is why we picked you. You perform or don’t perform, but whenever you go to the ground, be always happy and excited).”

“Uske baad jab main unke room se wapas aaya na toh kahi na kahi meiin 2.0 ban chuka tha,” he added.

Dayal was signed for Rs 5 crore by RCB in the IPL 2024 auction and finished the season with 15 wickets in 14 out of 15 matches played for the team.