3 youngsters in the IPL who have received high praise from Virat Kohli
The 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) has lived up to its expectations, with the home and away format coupled with the impact player rule making it one of the most entertaining editions ever.
Apart from enthralling matches and a neck-to-neck race for playoff spots, the competition has also delivered in terms of uplifting young players like it usually does.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, 21, and 23-year-old Shubman Gill are the leading Indian run-scorers in the tournament so far. Apart from the opening batters, players like Rinku Singh, Akash Singh, Matheesha Pathirana, Noor Ahmed, and more have made a significant impact.
Praise and admiration come across as a huge confidence boost for such youngsters. The applause of fans and even pundits are easier to come by when compared to the earnest praise by a fellow peer, and more so from someone who is at the top of their field.
Ace batter Virat Kohli is never shy of expressing his admiration for the coming generation of players and has often used social media and interviews as a medium for it. The improving performances of young players have rendered the former India skipper to do it more often than before, which is something he would not mind doing.
On that note, here are three IPL youngsters who have earned praise from Virat Kohli in the recent past.
#1 Yashasvi Jaiswal - Rajasthan Royals
Yashasvi Jaiswal is having a breakthrough season in the ongoing IPL. The Rajasthan Royals (RR) batter now holds the record for the fastest IPL fifty of all time (13 balls) and went on to score an unbeaten 98 in the Royals' nine-wicket win over the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Thursday, May 11.
The fans went berserk at Eden Gardens, even the home fans, who had no choice but to applaud the young genius. While the commentators lauded him, the left-handed batter received treasured praise from Virat Kohli himself.
During the knock, the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batter put up a story on his Instagram account, captioning it:
"Wow this is some of the best batting I've seen in a while. What a talent."
During a post-match interaction with Yuzvendra Chahal, he was informed about Kohli's comments, which prompted him to fold his hands and look skyward. That gesture speaks more than a story as to how much his praise means for the young players.
#2 Rinku Singh - Kolkata Knight Riders
The KKR youngster has been exceptional for his franchise in a shaky season by offering some consistency in the middle order and showcasing his finishing skills. One of the biggest talking points of the tournament came in the form of his heroics against the Gujarat Titans (GT).
Rinku Singh struck five successive sixes in the final over off Yash Dayal to help KKR snatch a win from the jaws of defeat. The extraordinary and perhaps once-in-a-lifetime moment saw the left-handed batter being flooded with praise and Virat Kohli was no different.
Heaping praise on Rinku's incredible act as well as commenting on the general growth of youngsters of late, Kohli said:
"What the youngsters are doing today is amazing to see. Look at this IPL, I couldn't even think of doing stuff what these young guys are doing. Just the other night, Rinku Singh hits 5 Sixes in last 5 balls which is amazing & never happened something like that. Coming in an hitting five sixes in a row to win a match, I mean what level is this? So that transition is happening is great. It is great to see such youngsters coming up."
#3 Shubman Gill - Gujarat Titans
The young Indian opening batter is slowly evolving to become an all-format player for India and is having an incredible IPL season. Shubman Gill is close to crossing his last season's tally of 483 runs, having already amassed 469 runs in IPL 2023 at a strike rate of 143.43.
The Gujarat Titans batter attained peak form ahead of the IPL in the form of his maiden Test hundred, prolific white-ball season, and a maiden Test hundred at home in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
After a rough start to his T20I career, the youngster responded strongly with a hundred against New Zealand in Ahmedabad, which drew praise from Virat Kohli.
The former India skipper called Gill a 'Sitaara' (Star) on his Instagram story along with the caption:
"The future is here."
Who will turn out to be IPL 2023's best young player? Let us know what you think.