(Sportzpics)
Many aspiring cricketers dream of sharing the field with Virat Kohli, and Swapnil Singh, a player for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League, is among the fortunate few who have had that privilege. Having played alongside the Indian batting maestro during their U-15 and U-19 days, as well as in the IPL, Swapnil recently shed light on his relationship with Kohli.
Their journey began at a U15 NCA camp in 2004 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, where they first crossed paths. Their paths converged once again when RCB acquired Swapnil at the mini-auction preceding the 2024 IPL season. In a conversation on the YouTube podcast, The Uncapped Indians, Swapnil reflected on the changes he observed in Kohli upon reuniting with him in the RCB dressing room.
According to Swapnil Singh, Virat Kohli is a lot calmer these days. “We played together in U19 and U15, Kohli was a very flamboyant personality at that time. But when I met him this time, there was a huge change in him. He is into himself, he’s become calmer, loves to spend time with his family and talks less but talks wisely,” he said.
Swapnil spoke about the advice Kohli gave him during this IPL season. The RCB all-rounder revealed that Kohli asked him to “stick to the basics”. “He (Kohli) told me to stick to the basics and strengthen them. When you are doing well, you need to focus more and more on the basics. We talked a lot and he kept telling me the same thing.”
The suggestions certainly boosted Swapnil’s confidence and he feels when a “legend of Virat’s stature” tells you about basics, then you become mentally sorted and focus on the right things.
Regarding Swapnil Singh’s performance in the 2024 IPL, the cricketer from Uttar Pradesh initially found himself on the bench as an unused substitute for several matches. However, when given the opportunity, he demonstrated his skills in both batting and bowling, contributing significantly to RCB’s resurgence in the latter part of the league stage.
Swapnil Singh contributed with brief yet impactful batting performances on multiple occasions and showcased his ability to take wickets using slower deliveries. Throughout four innings, Swapnil accumulated 28 runs at a striking rate of 164.70. Additionally, he secured six wickets while sustaining an economy rate of 8.76.
