"Even Kohli knew that if I bat on, we will win the match" - SKY opens up about Abu Dhabi sledge

In the 2020 Indian Premier League match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians, Kohli found himself engaging in a verbal duel with Suryakumar Yadav, who was then batting on 40 off just 25 balls. The Indian skipper, however, was all praise for the Mumbaikar when the latter was picked in the national team and talked about the X-factor that the player brings to the table.

On being asked about the same, Yadav later revealed that the sledge made him happy for a particular reason. “It's not just me, he goes hard at any batsman batting against him. I was happy that he sledged me. It means even Kohli knew that if I bat on, we will win the match and if they got my wicket, then maybe they could slow us down and create a chance to win,” Suryakumar said.

“I am a cool and calm customer on the pitch, so I don't get into these rivalries. But there was that moment in Abu Dhabi, so I guess that can go down as one,” he added.

Yadav since then went on to represent India in T20s and was even picked for the ODI squad as well. Kohli even sacrificed his No.3 position to make space for the Mumbai Indians star batsman.