When Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) had lost five consecutive games in inaugural edition of Women's Premier League (WPL), iconic batsman Virat Kohli gave a pep talk to the girls and motivated them.
As a result they looked like a different team in last couple of games and defeated UP Warriorz by five wickets before thrashing Gujarat Giants by eight wickets.
Asked how Kohli's words motivated them, RCB left-arm pacer Komal Zanzad from Vidarbha said, “There was a time when you need someone to motivate. I think Virat Kohli did it for us. He is a role model for many cricketers and we are no exception. His words helped us in the remaining matches,” she said.
Although Komal, who was auctioned for Rs 25 lakh, got just one game to play, she gathered a lot of experience in the company of international players. “It was a nice experience to share dressing room with experienced players. I played different level of cricket with them. I learnt a lot of new things that will help me in future. We had a lot of training sessions. Overall, it was a nice experience in the inaugural edition,” she said.
RCB skipper Smriti Mandhana had a woeful start to her WPL 2023 campaign, managing only 88 runs in first five matches. But then Kohli's pep talk boosted the confidence of RCB skipper. Asked about her captainship, Komal who scored five not out runs against UP said, “Smriti is a good captain but her plans were not executed effectively. As a result we didn't get positive results.”
Komal also praised Sophie Devine's explosive 99-run in 36 balls knock against Gujarat Giants. “It was very explosive innings. She was in full flow that day. We enjoyed it. She is a hard hitting batter and always plays in similar fashion in nets also,” Komal said.