Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) superstar Virat Kohli has recalled how legendary cricketer and ex-RCB player Mark Boucher had a massive impact on him during his teenage days with RCB in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Kohli went on to lavish huge praise on the South African great, saying the conversations with him stunned him.
The former RCB skipper was seen speaking on RCB Podcast's next episode, a brief trailer of which was shared on the team's social media pages.
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"Out of all the players I played with initially, Boucher had the biggest impact on me. He figured out what my weaknesses could be, If I wanted to go to the next level, this is what I need to do, without me asking him anything. He told me that 'when I came to commentate in India three-four years from now, and I do not see you playing for India, you would do a disservice to yourself. So he really stunned me with the conversations he had with me."
For the unversed, Boucher played for RCB in the first three seasons of IPL from 2008-10, when Virat Kohli was just establishing himself as a player for the franchise as well as for India. The RCB star also opened up about his superb loyalty to the team, for whom he has played 18 years in IPL. The 36-year-old says the love and respect from the RCB fans are more valuable to him than any silverware.
Virat Kohli opens up about his loyalty to RCB
"The love that I have received from the fans, I do not think any silverware or any trophy can come close to that," he added.
Kohli also stated that he has not altered his technique after calling it quits from international T20I cricket in June 2024.
"I do not think things have changed for me in any way. The decision (to leave T20Is) was taken purely understanding that there is a new set of players who are more than ready and they need time, they need a 2-year cycle to evolve, handle pressure, play in different parts of the world, and play enough games to the point where when the World Cup comes, they feel like they are ready," he concluded.
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In the ongoing 18th edition of the IPL 2025 season, Kohli has yet again led the RCB batting line-up with 443 runs from 10 innings with an average of 62.28 and a strike rate of 139. Currently, RCB is placed second on the IPL 2025 points table with 14 points from 10 games.
