“Started watching cricket cause of him”: Shreyanka Patil on meeting Virat Kohli

New Delhi [India], March 21 (ANI): After winning the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2024 title with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), bowling allrounder Shreyanka Patil opened up on meeting the star India batter Virat Kohli and said that she started watching cricket because of him.

The 21-year-old sealed the ‘Purple Cap’ after the end of the second season of the WPL after she bagged 13 wickets after taking part in 8 matches at an average of 12.08.

In the final match of WPL 2024 against Delhi Capitals’, Shreyanka displayed a scintillating performance and led the RCB bowling after picking up four wickets.

Shreyanka took to her official X (formerly Twitter) account and said that she grew up up dreaming of be like Kohli and meeting the former India skipper was her “moment of life”.

She also wrote about the time Kohli came up to her to praise her bowling skills, and was amazed that he knew her name.

“Started watching cricket cos of him. Grew up dreaming to be like him. And last night, had the moment of my life. Virat said, “Hi Shreyanka, well bowled.” He actually knows my name,” Shreyanka wrote on X.

Recapping the WPL 2024 final match, DC won the toss and elected to bat first. Openers Shafali Varma (44 in 27 balls, with two fours and three sixes) and skipper Meg Lanning (23 in 23 balls, with three fours) started well for the team with a quickfire 64-run opening stand.

However, Shreyanka Patil (4/12), Sophie Molineux (3/20) and Asha Sobhana (2/14) helped RCB bounce back just after the powerplay and removed Delhi batters one-by-one, triggering an unfathomable batting collapse. DC was all out for 113 in 18.3 overs.

In the chase of 114, RCB put on a 49-run opening stand, powered by Sophie Devine (32 in 27 balls, with five fours and a six). However, RCB was tested by Delhi bowlers in middle overs and skipper Smriti Mandhana (31 in 39 balls, with three fours) departed at a crucial juncture to leave RCB at 82/2 in 15 overs.

However, Ellyse Perry (35* in 37 balls, with four boundaries) and Richa Ghosh (17* in 14 balls, with two fours) finished the chase with three balls left. Minnu Mani and Shikha Pandey took a wicket each for DC.