Yash DayalThe left-arm pacer earned his first call-up to the Indian cricket team for the upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh.
The 26-year-old earned the call-up thanks to his electrifying performance in the IPL 2024 and a fantastic showing in the ongoing Duleep Trophy 2024.
The journey from the heartbreak of IPL 2023 to making it into the Indian Test team has been nothing short of cinematic..
After a stormy 2023 season, Dayal endured a nightmare against Rinku Singh, hitting five consecutive sixes during the Gujarat Titans (GT) vs Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) match.
Yash Dayal reveals how Virat Kohli’s motivational talk revived his career
After that match, Dayal was heartbroken and thought it was all over, but at this point, the Indian cricket icon Virat Kohli helped rescue him and help the pacer revive his career.
Recently, Dayal recalled an occasion when Kohli approached him with an unexpected invitation after Royal Challengers Bangaluru (RCB)’s net session, while talking about his favourite Virat Kohli moment.
He RCB Pacer revealed that Kohli invited him to his hotel room and not only gave him technical tips but also a motivational talk, which made him play the game the way he does now.
In a video posted by Gorakhpur Lions, Yash Dayal told Jatin Sapru, “When I was practising on the field, Virat bhaiya came and told Yash, ‘I have to work with you for 5 minutes. Come to my room.’ I asked him, ‘Yes, Bhaiya, what happened?’”
He told me that we will support you all season: Yash Dayal
Kohli started the conversation by referring to a difficult moment when Rinku hit him for five consecutive sixes. Kohli asked Dayal to forget about that incident. What started as a brief conversation turned into an in-depth mentoring session.
Virat Kohli shared personal stories from his career and offered Dayal not just advice but also a sense of reassurance and enthusiasm. Kohli assured the Indian pacer that he will get opportunities throughout the season.But the former RCB captain asked Dayal to enjoy his game on the field, and it worked.
Yash Dayal further recalled, “He said that what happened with Rinku was his part, but from there on, you don’t feel that you are less. Then Kohli Bhaiya told his stories and connected with me; those 5 minutes turned into 15-20 minutes. I remember each and everything he said. He told me that we (RCB) will back you the whole season; that’s why we picked you.
Whether you act or not, whenever you hit the ground you should be happy. You should be excitedAfter that, when I came back from his room, I had become a 2.0 version of myself.”
Here’s how Yash Dayal revealed how Virat Kohli got the better of him:
In the end, Yash Dayal pointed out that Virat Kohli’s on-screen persona seemed different, but his personal experience with the former Indian captain revealed a much more different and genuine side to the legend.
He is currently preparing for the upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh, which begins on September 19 in Chennai.