IPL 2022: Virat Kohli Is A Bowler's Captain, Have Enjoyed Playing Under Him At RCB: Shahbaz Ahmed

Bengal all-rounder Shahbaz Ahmed is currently in the form of his life. Over the past two seasons, he has been consistently performing for Bengal. He had a breakthrough 2019-20 season where his all-round exploits (509 runs and 35 wickets) propelled Bengal to the Ranji final after a 13-year long wait. 

Talking to Sportskeeda, he spoke about playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore and playing under the captaincy of Virat Kohli. One of his most noted performances in IPL 2021 was against SRH where he dismissed Jonny Bairstow, Manish Pandey and Abdul Samad in the 17th over of Hyderabad’s innings to give Bangalore a win in their crucial game against their Southern rivals. 

Talking to Sportskeeda, Shahbaz Ahmed spoke about how Virat Kohli’s qualities as a batsman and a finisher had rubbed on him lately. He scored 51 against Hyderabad and 71* in the fourth innings of the first match against Baroda. Both of his knocks helped Bengal to win the games.

“If we stay as determined as Virat Kohli or AB de Villiers, we can do much better in domestic cricket. Both Virat Bhai and AB are great finishers. I feel that quality is slowly rubbing off on me too. I want to play for RCB for many more years to come and become a much-improved version of myself,” Shahbaz Ahmed said. 

Virat Kohli Is A Bowler’s Captain: Shahbaz Ahmed

He also spoke about playing under Virat Kohli at RCB and enjoying his time with the franchise. In the IPL 2022 mega auction, the franchise bought him back for 2.40 crores for another stint with Bangalore. 

“I’ve enjoyed my time playing under his captaincy. You’re absolutely right in saying that he’s a bowler’s captain. He supports bowlers massively, especially youngsters like me.

“Whenever I get an opportunity to play for RCB, I try to deliver my best for the team. He has a lot of trust in my abilities,” Shahbaz concluded saying. 

Also Read: IND vs SL: If Virat Kohli Is Comfortable At No. 4, Don’t Disturb Him- Sunil Gavaskar