Yash Dayal, who struggled with Gujarat Titans, praised Virat Kohli for his support after joining RCB, where he played a crucial role in their playoff run and took 15 wickets in IPL 2024.
New Delhi: Royal Challengers left-arm speedster Yash Dayal expressed his delight towards Virat Kohli for supporting him in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Dayal faced a season full of nightmare while playing for Gujarat Titans in 2023. In a match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Titans’ Dayal conceded five consecutive sixes while defending 29 runs in the final over.
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.