BENGALURU: Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) latest pace sensation Vyshak Vijaykumar, who has captured the hearts of fans with his scintillating performances, said captain Faf du Plessis’ advice helped him take his maiden IPL wicket.
Vyshak set the stage on fire at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on April 15 during his debut for RCB as he not only picked up three wickets but also helped the team register a victory.
Talking about his first wicket in the latest episode of RCB Bold Diaries, the right-arm pacer said everyone in the team sought to put him at ease.
“Before the game, everybody came and told me not to worry and just enjoy the moment as it was my first game. I bowled my first ball which went for a single and then the second one went for a boundary,” he said, according to a press release.
“Then Faf [Du Plessis] came to me and asked me what do I want to bowl next to which I replied that I will bowl hard length. But he told me to just mix it up with a slower one as I have a pretty good knuckleball. So, I bowled it and got my first wicket. That moment was magical.” added the bowler.
Since his debut, Vyshak has showcased his talent and expertise on the big stage, picking up six wickets from five games so far in the ongoing edition.
Although the 26-year-old went unsold in the auction, he was aware of RCB’s tradition of selecting players from the intern pool as replacements in the squad.
Determined to earn a spot in the team, Vyshak kept working hard in the nets consistently and was rewarded for his efforts as he replaced the injured Rajat Patidar in the squad.
“We were in Kolkata when Mike (Hesson) sir told me that my bowling and fielding are up there but I have to improve my batting. So, I said to myself that I am going to accept this and left it there. The next day I came back to the ground and was warming up when Mike sir called me again to have a word with me. He congratulated me and told me that I had made it to the team. I was left starstruck and came running to the dressing room to call my mother,” Vyshak said as he recalled the day when he was included in the RCB squad.
The player broke down in tears during the episode when he was shown a video of his mother expressing how her dream came true after watching 40,000 people cheering for her son.
Vyshak received an RCB cap from Josh Hazelwood, who he described as the best bowler in all formats.
“One day before the game, Sanjay (Bangar) sir called me in the evening to have a chat about my cricket journey and he asked me how would I feel if he told me that I was going to make my debut tomorrow. I did not know what to say as we were having a normal conversation. I was not able to sleep the entire night and kept waking up every 5-10 minutes.”
“The moment I received the cap in the team room from Josh Hazelwood was very special for me and I will cherish it for the rest of my life,” shared Vyshak,” added the bowler.
The Bengaluru-born player also opened up about his heartening weight transformation journey.
Speaking on his what motivated him to lose weight, Vyashak said, “One of my competitors back in the day dropped me while giving birthday bombs and made fun of me by saying that I am pretty heavy. While going back home, those words kept playing in the mind and I could not sleep that night. The next day I looked at myself in the mirror and that is where my (weight loss) journey started.”
RCB will play an away game on Monday in Lucknow against Lucknow Super Giants. The side is currently at fifth position in the points table with four wins, four losses and a total of eight points. (ANI)