Virat Kohli might have lost on the field against the Kolkata Knight Riders in Abu Dhabi, but he sure won plenty of hearts off it after the game. After the game, the Royal Challengers Bangalore captain was spotted mentoring KKR debutant Venkatesh Iyer, who scored an unbeaten 41 to take his team home by nine wickets.
In the viral video, he can be heard discussing the optimal batting stance with the youngster.
“When you press forward, you are in a good position to leave, you are in a good position to get under the ball, you can also spring up (sic).”
“When your base is good, you don’t need to drop back.”
Kohli’s simple act of sportsmanship drew applause from cricket fans online, who were impressed by the Indian skipper’s attitude despite losing.
Iyer comes from an academic background of business management. Despite bagging a job offer from a ‘big four’ company like Deloitte in 2018, he chose cricket over a career in finance.
His hard work and determination paid off later that year, when he made his Ranji Trophy debut for Madhya Pradesh.
While he has been around the domestic circuit since 2015, Iyer came into his own in the truncated 2020-21 season, when he had a prolific white-ball season, according to ESPN Cricinfo.
He was the top-scorer for his side in the recent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, with 227 runs in five innings at an average of 75.66 and a strike rate of 149.34. In the 50-over the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he made headlines after a 146-ball 198 against Punjab that helped Madhya Pradesh amass 402 for 3.
Iyer finally got his break in the IPL on Monday; and he couldn’t have wished for more relaxed circumstances to play his first game in. Having been asked to bowl first, his team bundled out the much-experienced RCB for a mere 92.
The debutant combined with fellow opener Shubman Gill for an 82-run stand to lay the foundation for a comfortable chase. KKR climbed up to fifth in the points table after the result, while RCB are still third, two points away from joint leaders Chennai and Delhi.
Image: Twitter/IPLT20, RCB, KKR
