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Cricket Players'The moment I got traded, Virat texted me 'You are playing all the matches': Ex-RCB bowler recalls Kohli's encouragement
A former RCB bowler recalled how he was welcomed to Royal Challengers Bangalore through a heartwarming message from the then-captain Virat Kohli.
Virat Kohli may no longer be captain in any form of cricket – be it for India or the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL, but his contribution to both teams have been immense. Kohli might not have won a major title with either the Indian team or RCB, he has been responsible in giving young, fresh and promising faces a chance.
Kohli was at the centre of RCB’s turnaround in the last couple of seasons. From finishing with the wooden spoon, Kohli in 2020 and 2021 editions of the IPL injected a fresh template, which saw RCB qualifying for the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. With Glenn Maxwell and a few more interesting picks coming on board, RCB turned things around in style as the superstar combination of Kohli, Maxwell and AB de Villiers came to the fore to win matches for the franchise.
However, besides the trio, one more name that not many expected to set the IPL on fire was Harshal Patel. Having spent six seasons with the RCB, Harshal moved to Delhi Capitals, but three reasons later, returned to Bengaluru for the 2021 edition and did not look back. Harshal picked up 32 wickets – the joint-highest in a single season of the IPL tying with the legend Dwayne Bravo. Recalling his first memory of joining RCB ahead of IPL 2021, Harshal revealed Kohli’s first words to him.
"I looked at it as a great opportunity. Every time something like this happens, there's uncertainty. You can hope for the best and see how you can contribute best. The moment I was traded, Virat messaged me saying, "You're going to play all the games." That gave me a lot of confidence - that here's a captain who is giving you that assurance. I had enough confidence that if I got opportunities, I'd make the most of it," Harshal told ESPNCricinfo.
"I always believe whatever happens in the IPL, whether someone retains you or lets you go, you shouldn't take it personally. Those decisions aren't taken based on whether they like you as a person or not. It's all about how you can contribute in that set-up, and if they felt you can't contribute the way they want you to, then you're not valuable to them anymore and you're being traded to a team that has asked for you and has a role for you."
Like any other RCB cricketers, Harshal reveals he picked up plenty of lessons watching Kohli, de Villiers bat. However, unlike others, Harshal admits he is a silent observer rather than a vocal one.
"I've been a silent observer of them. I don't believe in asking a lot of questions, just seeing them closely, what their routines are, what their body language is under pressure, how they carry themselves when they do well, how they carry themselves when they don't do well. These are the things I learnt from my first big stint with RCB."
