Virat Kohli’s fitness has been instrumental in making him a consistent performer in T20s: Mandeep Singh

Mandeep recently engaged with his fans in the ShareChat Audio Chatroom session- ‘CricChat powered by Parimatch’. The Punjab cricketer interacted with over 78,680 users in India during the session and talked about his IPL Journey and the upcoming Asia Cup 2022.

The right-hand batsman has played for various franchises in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and has been an eminent player in the U-19 Indian Cricket Team. But he became a household name during his stint with the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) under the leadership of Kohli. He played for Delhi Capitals in the IPL 2022.

“When I joined RCB, I was shocked to see Virat Kohli’s intensity towards training. His fitness has been instrumental in making him a consistent performer in T20 cricket. It has also helped the bowlers improve and has helped Test cricket overall,” he said.

Mandeep further discussed how playing IPL – one of the most lucrative domestic T20 leagues in the world – gave him financial stability and confidence. During the session, he also discussed India batter KL Rahul’s journey and said, “During his U-19 days, KL Rahul began working on his game and started preparing for Test cricket (and results are for everyone to see).”

He also spoke highly of Suryakumar Yadav with reference to the upcoming Asia Cup 2022, which starts on August 27 in the UAE. Known for his powerful strokes and massive sixes in the domestic circuit and IPL, Mandeep made his debut for India in 2016.

Speaking about his cricket career, Mandeep recalled his debut for Team India in 2016 and said, “I was playing in the IPL when I found out about my selection. My father always used to tell me, if I play cricket, I must play for India.”

He further added, “I met Mahi (MS Dhoni) Bhai in the lift, one day prior to my debut and he asked me to be ready for the next day. Being on the ground in Indian colours was surreal.”

He also stated that hitting sixes against West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell remains his greatest achievement to date. Mandeep has been a part of various franchises such as the Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
Speaking about his time at the Delhi Capitals, he said, “Ricky Ponting and Rishabh Pant have made Delhi Capitals an extremely professional franchise. Ponting loves discipline and commitments and treats everyone equally”.

He even inspired the audience with stories from his early days while being candid with his fans. Manish Batavia, a well-known cricket presenter, and commentator moderated the discussion.