Prince Yadav produced one of the most memorable moments of IPL 2026 when he bowled a stunning delivery to dismiss Virat Kohli. Even a week later, the wicket continues to be widely discussed despite the rapid pace and constant drama of the tournament. The ball itself was exceptional, beating Kohli completely and crashing through his defence, but it was the story behind it that made the moment even more remarkable. After the match, Prince revealed that Kohli had actually advised him during a conversation after their previous meeting earlier in the season to keep bowling in that particular area. The revelation immediately caught the attention of fans and experts, with many saying Kohli had unknowingly helped script his own dismissal. The incident quickly became one of the most talked-about moments of the season, not only because of the quality of the delivery but also because a young fast bowler showed the confidence to use the advice against one of cricket’s biggest names.
Kohli himself has now addressed the chatter around his advice to Prince, which eventually led to his own dismissal. The batting maestro shed light on how his bond with Prince developed during the season, revealing that the young pacer initially appeared intense on the field but turned out to be warm, funny and easy to connect with off it. Kohli also recalled first meeting the Delhi fast bowler during the Vijay Hazare Trophy, before their friendship grew stronger through conversations alongside Ishant Sharma.
“So people don’t know, I went and played Vijay Hazare, I didn’t know Prince at all. Because on the field he feels like he’s very intense, and he’s such a sweet guy, and he’s so funny, because Ishant was there as well, and Ishant knows him, so I got very close to him, and he opened up really nicely to me,” Kohli said on the podcast on RCB’s YouTube channel.
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“Not going to be here forever”: Virat Kohli
The former India skipper also explained why he never hesitates to share his knowledge with younger cricketers, saying he had been guiding Prince Yadav since their meetings in domestic cricket and believes experienced players have a responsibility to help the next generation improve and eventually strengthen Indian cricket.
“So I was telling him even on those times, you know, even through those Vijay Hazare games, standing at mid-off, covers, whatever, what to do, where to bowl. You have to share experience, you’re not going to be here forever and if people have the opportunity to learn and get better in their careers, eventually, who gets helped? If all these guys play well, eventually they play for India, the standard of cricket remains high,” he added.
Kohli further stressed that helping young players grow is essential to maintaining the standard of Indian cricket, adding that developing the next generation will ultimately benefit the national team in the years ahead.
“You don’t want to see a situation tomorrow where the standards are dropping. If you can help someone to get to their potential best, then their best version will eventually help Indian cricket. That’s the progress, I see,” he said.