In a recent RCB podcast, Virat Kohli revealed how he understands the importance of supporting young Indian cricketers over his rivals. If he has advice for new talents such as Yashasvi Jaiswal or for Prince Yadav who will soon become an accomplished fast bowler, then he feels Indian cricket will benefit from it. In IPL 2026, when Prince bowled him out for a duck on his very first two balls in the match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Kohli’s philosophies were proven correct as Lucknow Super Giants clinched a historic victory at the Lucknow stadium.
Kohli’s true sportsman spirit was revealed when he said, “Even though he’s gonna play against us, it’s one game. But if he plays well for the whole season, eventually he’s gonna play for India. Of course, How can I not help him?”
He stated that he shares everything he knows with young players, as one IPL game will end within weeks, but the growth of a player might influence Indian cricket for decades. Moreover, he always prefers playing against all opponents at their best level since nothing excites him more than winning against good players.
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Prince Yadav Turns Kohli’s Advice Into a Match-Winning Moment
But the most remarkable one happened on May 7 at the Ekana Stadium. Prince bowled a wonderful outswinger and then followed it up with an even more stunning 140.4 kph inswinger that took out Kohli’s defence and shattered the stumps. Kohli ended up getting out on just two balls for a duck – his first in an IPL chasing game in nine years.
After the match, Prince revealed that the key tip had come from Kohli himself.
Prince revealed the secret about the dismissal, as he said, “Virat bhaiya told me that as long as the ball is moving from an off-length, stick to that length.”
Prince took that suggestion to heart. He concluded with figures of 3/33, dismissing Devdutt Padikkal and Jitesh Sharma along the way. With his bowling effort, LSG managed to defend 209 runs, earning them a nine-run DLS win. The fast bowler is now LSG’s top wicket-taker, with 16 wickets in 10 matches.
How Kohli and Prince Built Their Bond
Initially, Kohli met Prince when he was playing for Delhi in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. However, their relationship grew stronger due to the involvement of Ishant Sharma, who is one of Kohli’s closest friends and a leading player for Delhi in cricket. Kohli confessed that he did not know anything about Prince before meeting him. However, after talking with him, he found out that Prince had a cool and funny personality despite his aggressive playing style.
When they played in the domestic tournaments, Kohli used to chat with Prince from mid-off and cover positions. He would provide strategic advice to him regarding length and batters’ setting. His guidance helped Prince perform well in the IPL tournament, although Kohli bore the brunt of it.
Finally, Kohli called the dismissal ball bowled by Prince as one of the best balls he had ever faced. He went forward to consult LSG’s bowling coach Bharat Arun regarding Prince’s bowling tactics.
