'He’s going to play for India': Virat Kohli gives his verdict on LSG's Prince Yadav amidst IPL 2026 heroics

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) batting maestro Virat Kohli came out with immense praise for Lucknow Super Giants' star pacer Prince Yadav. Kohli is currently enjoying a prolific run in the IPL 2026 season, having amassed 484 runs across 12 appearances. While his campaign has been defined by several masterclass innings, he has encountered significant resistance whenever facing the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). In their first encounter, he was restricted to a laboured 49 off 41 balls, and in their most recent meeting, he was dismissed for a duck. The architect of Kohli’s struggles on both occasions was 24-year-old pacer Prince Yadav, whose ability to trouble the modern-day great has prompted a bold prediction from Kohli regarding the young bowler's future.

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Virat Kohli on giving tips to Prince Yadav

Following the match, Prince Yadav revealed the details of a sportsmanship-driven interaction with Kohli that took place during their previous meeting in Bengaluru. Despite being on the losing side in that game, the veteran batter had advised the young pacer to trust his natural length and avoid changing his approach as long as the ball continued to move off the surface. Prince strictly adhered to this guidance in their subsequent clash, a move that ironically led to him clean-bowling Kohli for a duck.

'If he plays well for the whole season, he’s going to play for India'

Reflecting on this during an episode of the RCB Podcast with Mayanti Langer, Kohli emphasized his philosophy of mentoring the next generation, regardless of franchise rivalries. He noted that while he plays for RCB, his ultimate goal is to assist talent that might eventually represent the Indian national team. Drawing parallels to his past encouragement of stars like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Kohli hinted that Prince Yadav possesses the caliber to follow a similar trajectory toward international honors.

“If Yashashvi (Jaiswal) reaches out to me before we have to play them (Rajasthan Royals) and now I’m thinking ‘He needs help, even though he’s going to play against us.’ It’s one game, but if he plays well for the whole season, eventually he’s going to play for India. How can I not help him? He might score against us tomorrow or day after. It’s okay!"

Kohli also shared a more personal side of his relationship with Prince Yadav, describing the young bowler as an incredibly sweet and funny guy. The former Indian captain revealed that their acquaintance predates the IPL, as they had previously crossed paths and interacted during the Vijay Hazare Trophy. These early encounters helped build a rapport that has continued into the professional league.

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The veteran batter emphasized that he feels a responsibility to share his vast experience with emerging talents like Prince. In Kohli's view, these mentorship moments are vital for the growth of Indian cricket, as he firmly believes that players of Prince's caliber are the ones who will eventually step up to represent the national team on the international stage.

“Yeah, he bowled a great ball to me, and I told him to bowl in those areas. It is fine. I went and played Vijay Hazare [Trophy]. I didn’t know Prince at all. He is such a sweet guy, and he is so funny. I got very close to him, and he opened up very nicely to me. I was telling him, even through those Vijay Hazare Trophy games what to do and where to bowl," he added.

"You have to share experience. You are not going to be here forever. If people have the opportunity to learn and get better in their careers, eventually they play for India and the standard of cricket remains high,” Kohli concluded.