Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) pacer Vyshak Vijaykumar has impressed one and all with his exploits in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season.
In five matches so far, the right-armer has claimed six wickets, including a three-wicket haul on debut against Delhi Capitals.
In the latest episode of RCB Bold Diaries, the 26-year-old recalled his call up to the RCB 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.
Vijaykumar credited RCB skipper Faf du Plessis for his maiden wicket in the Indian Premier League.
"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.
"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."
Vyshak Vijaykumar received his RCB cap from Josh Hazelwood, who he hailed 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," he stated.
During the episode, Vyshak also narrated his weight transformation journey.
"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."
(With ANI Inputs)
