LUCKNOW: Lucknow Super Giants pacer Prince Yadav dismissed Royal Challengers Bengaluru batting stalwart Virat Kohli with a peach of a delivery during their IPL match here but the youngster does not want to play it up, saying that he was just happy that his team won.
In the second over of RCB's run chase of 210, Prince Yadav produced a sensational delivery to bamboozle Kohli. The 140-kmph ball nipped back in to crash into Kohli's off stump. It marked Kohli’s first IPL duck since a first-ball dismissal against Rajasthan Royals in April 2023.
"I felt good after the (Kohli) wicket, but I am most happy that we won the match. If I had taken the wicket and we had lost, it wouldn't have been so (good)," Prince, who took three wickets for just 33 runs, said at the post-match press conference.
"Whether it's a different way or one way, when a bowler takes a wicket, it feels good. But as I said earlier, if the situation was such that we could have won the match only if we had taken the wicket, that's what happened and I am feeling good."
Some commentators felt that Prince's delivery to oust Kohli could be considered as one of the best in the tournament. Prince is having a breakout season with 16 wickets, just one off the Purple Cap table-toppers Bhuvneshwar Kumar (17) and Anshul Kamboj (17). The 24-year-old said he learnt a lot from senior India pacer Mohammed Shami about bowling with the new ball.
"I learned a lot from him (Shami) about the new ball. But the best thing about him is that whenever a bowler is bowling, he stands mid-on or mid-off. So, if such an experienced player is standing with you, there is a different level of confidence," he said. "So, the dressing room was good before, it still is. In cricket, we always win or lose. But our team is putting in our best efforts. We are not thinking much about the playoffs, but we are thinking about taking it match-by-match."
RCB captain Rajat Patidar admitted that Prince's spell was game-changing. "We played a lot of domestic matches with Prince in Delhi. I have seen him for a long time. He has a lot of variations. He has pace. He has swing. He is a proper fast bowler. He bowled really well today, especially the slow balls that he tried. I think that was a game-changing spell," Patidar said.
"One of his qualities is that he trusts his skills. That is commendable. He has given his team (an important early) breakthrough -- he is an expert in that. I have never seen him give a lot of runs." RCB are currently at the third spot with 12 points after 10 matches, and Patidar said his team can defend the title. "We are not playing as a defending champion this season. We have an opportunity to become a champion once again," he said.
"We lost the match with just nine runs, so we were two shots behind," said Patidar, who scored 61 from 31 balls for a lost cause. "Mitchell Marsh put pressure on us in a way. After that, the way our bowlers controlled him. Overall, the way he started and the way we finished, I am quite satisfied with the way we controlled the game.
"Dev (Devdutt Padikkal) is batting really well. The way we bat with each other in pairs, I am learning a lot from him. The way he is keeping his mind clear at this time, that starts with practice and he is selecting the ball to hit. He is doing a good job of shot selection," he added.
On his own batting, Patidar said. "Obviously, if you make runs, you always feel good. I look at it differently. I look at how I am doing my net session. I know what I am feeling. For me that is more important."
"The result is not as important. I feel comfortable with my batting. I have a good ball in the nets session. I have the strength to play shorts in good position. I try to stick to my nets session as much as possible. I don't want to do anything new."