'Grateful for His Support: RCB Speedster Yash Dayal Credits Virat Kohli for Backing Him'

New Delhi: Royal Challengers left-arm speedster Yash Dayal expressed his gratitude towards Virat Kohli for standing by him during a tough season in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Dayal had a challenging time while playing for Gujarat Titans in 2023, with one particular match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Narendra Modi Stadium standing out. In that match, Dayal endured a tough final over, conceding five consecutive sixes while defending 29 runs.

At the end of the season, Titans released him, after which RCB bought him for INR 5 crore. Dayal revealed that Virat interacts with the youngsters and motivates them as much as possible.

“The biggest thing he (Kohli) said to me was that he will back me the whole season. He told me that I will not feel like I have come to a new place, and he backed me completely. So this was a huge boost up and he talks to the youngsters in such a very healthy way and he is nothing like what people talk about on TV. I don’t feel like that,” Dayal told Sports Tak.

Dayal played a pivotal role in RCB’s journey to the playoffs in IPL 2024. In 14 outings, he clinched 15 wickets at an economy rate of 9.14. He happened to be the joint-highest wicket-taker for the side along with Mohammed Siraj.

He remained a chief factor when RCB was going through a difficult period, having suffered a six-match losing streak, and is currently trying hard to get into the playoff. Though the campaign ended with defeat at the hands of Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator match, Dayal now boasts 53 wickets from as many as 56 T20s at an economy rate of 8.46.