IPL 2022: "He is passionate about his cricket and wants to win every game"

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) pacer Siddharth Kaul believes that Virat Kohli will surely guide Under-19 star Aneesh Gautam. He mentioned how the star batter has worked hard on his fitness and reached where he is today because of his work ethic.

Kaul, who was a part of the Virat Kohli-led India Under-19 team in 2008, pointed out that the 33-year-old is very passionate about his game and strives to win each and every match when he's out there.

He added that the seasoned campaigner will surely share details about his progression from junior cricket to senior cricket with Aneeshwar Gautam. The seamer made these remarks in a video shared by the Bangalore-based franchise earlier today.

Siddharth Kaul said:

"Virat Kohli will definitely share all the small things that he has changed from his Under-19 days. I have seen how chubby he was and now he is in great shape after working hard on his fitness. People around the world know about his work ethic and fitness and how he's passionate about his cricket and how he just wants to win every game. These are the things that make him different from others. I think he will give him the best guidance."

He suggested that the Under-19 stars should look up to the likes of Ishan Kishan, Rishabh Pant, and Virat Kohli as they have successfully established themselves on the big stage after their respective ICC Under-19 World Cup stints. He feels that backing one's natural game is the key to success.

Kaul added:

"I would say that these young guys can look up to the likes of Ishan Kishan, Rishabh Pant and Virat Kohli. These are the guys who emerged from Under-19 and are now big stage players. It is important to play your natural game and be who you are."

It is worth mentioning that Aneeshwar Gautam was signed by RCB at the IPL 2022 auction earlier this year for ₹20 lakh. The talented youngster revealed that he wasn't really expecting to be picked for this year's cash-rich league.

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"I didn't expect RCB to bid for me" - Aneeshwar Gautam

The 19-year-old revealed that he was unsure if his name would come up in the auction list. He even stated that he had not anticipated that RCB would place a bid for him after his name finally came.

Gautam disclosed that he was overjoyed after bagging an IPL contract and added that his phone started buzzing as soon as he got picked. He said:

"During the Under-19 World Cup I had no idea that I was going to be picked for the IPL. It happened during the Ranji Trophy quarantine. It happened after the World Cup and I wasn't really expecting to get picked. It was also an accelerated option, so I wasn't really 100% sure that my name was going to come up in the list."

He further added:

"Even when it did come up, I didn't expect RCB to bid for me. But once they did it was pure excitement and joy. My phone exploded once I got picked up."

RCB did not have an ideal start to their campaign, losing their inaugural fixture to Punjab Kings (PBKS) by 5 wickets. However, they did bounce back by claiming a stunning 3-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their subsequent match.

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The Faf du Plessis-led side are currently placed seventh in the IPL points table. They will next be seen in action on Tuesday, according to the IPL schedule, they will next be seen in action on Tuesday, when they lock horns against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the 13th match of the season.