[WATCH] Former RCB star reflects on his relationship with Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli has been a huge inspiration to many players. When he was the leader of the Test side, that was the golden period of Indian cricket in the format, and that happened only because of the trust he had in the fast bowlers. Since the very first day of his tenure, he made it very clear how he would always look to pick 20 wickets in a fixture and is ready to give up a few overs.

The former Indian pacer, Umesh Yadav, during a recent interaction, shed light on how Kohli inspired him during his days. He stated that more than just being the captain of the side, Kohli was a great team-mate and friend, who used to support and back their players during tough periods.

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‘My cricket and career- what it had been- was really good. I have a really good bond with Virat, having played for five to six years together. He was also the captain for us. More than being the skipper, he was the teammate, friend, and a fighter- something which I found out. Because he was always there to support you and give you backup. So that’s one of those things. Otherwise, the journey in Indian cricket was a long one.’ Umesh expressed in a function.

Watch: Former RCB star Umesh Yadav reflects on his relationship with Virat Kohli

During his 12-year red-ball career, the Nagpur-born picked up 170 wickets in 112 innings at an average of 30.95 and a strike rate of nearly 53, with the help of three five-wicket and six four-wicket hauls at the best bowling figure of 6/88 in an innings. His last game in the five-day format came at the Kennington Oval during the WTC 2023 final against Australia.

In 226 FC innings, Umesh picked up 380 scalps at an average of below 30 and nearly the same strike rate. He played a few first-class games last season for Vidarbha against Andhra and Mumbai, being the last two.

The question is whether he could make a return to the national side. Looking at India’s plans and how Umesh, the 37-year-old, spoke about his career recently, it felt like India had seen the last of Umesh Yadav.