Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], August 18 (ANI): Following a fiery Player of the Match performance, Lucknow Falcons speedster Abhinandan Singh reflected on the profound impact his Indian Premier League (IPL) journey has had on his career, particularly the invaluable mentorship he received from modern-day great Virat Kohli.

Abhinandan was the chief architect of the Falcons' thrilling three-wicket victory in Match 6 of the UPT20 League Season 4 on Monday night, finishing with exceptional figures of 4/30. The pacer credited his recent growth to the elite environment at Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), according to a press release from Lucknow Falcons.

After joining RCB ahead of the 2025 season, Abhinandan has been a part of a historic squad that clinched back-to-back IPL titles in 2025 and 2026, eventually making his much-anticipated tournament debut in the 2026 campaign. Sharing a dressing room with international icons, the young fast bowler highlighted how conversations with Kohli shaped his mindset and work ethic.

'Virat bhaiya really motivated me, especially just talking to me about what I could do better, how I could improve further,' Abhinandan shared.

'All the coaches worked with me a lot during that time too. Then I made it back into the 16-member squad, and it was just a really good experience overall. A lot of what I think about the game now, the discipline I have today... I learned all of that from my IPL experience,' he added.

Beyond the batting maestro, Abhinandan's stint at RCB allowed him to rub shoulders with and learn from elite international fast bowlers like Josh Hazlewood. Crucially, it also gave him the opportunity to bowl alongside seasoned Indian veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar, a relationship that has now transitioned seamlessly to the UP T20 League, where Abhinandan is currently thriving under Bhuvneshwar's captaincy for the Lucknow Falcons.

That elite-level discipline was on full display against the Noida Kings at the Ekana Stadium.

Reflecting on his journey over the past few years and his mindset heading into this match, the Falcons speedster kept his outlook grounded and said, 'I'm very happy with today's performance. Looking at the last three seasons... I was injured last year, then I played in the IPL this year, and now I've come here. This time, I just came well prepared and tried to keep things as simple as possible.' (ANI)