Virat Kohli has admitted that the advice he gave to Prince Yadav helped the Lucknow Super Giants locator dismiss him during an IPL 2026 match earlier this season.Prince dropped Kohli for a two-ball duck during Lucknow Super Giants’ nine-run win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. The ball came back sharply from a good length and beat Kohli.After that match, Prince said that the wicket came from a piece of advice given to him by Kohli himself after the previous meeting between the two teams.“I spoke to him after the last game and he told me if the ball does something long, don’t leave it. So I did and I got the result,” Prince told broadcasters.Speaking on the RCB Podcast, Kohli confirmed the conversation and said that senior players should help younger cricketers improve.“Yeah, he bowled me a great ball and I told him to bowl in those areas. That’s fine,” Kohli said.Kohli said he got to know Prince during the Vijay Hazare Trophy and often shared his views with him.“I went and played the Vijay Hazare (Trophy). I didn’t know Prince at all. He’s such a nice guy and so much fun. I got very close to him and he opened up to me very nicely. I was telling him, even through those Vijay Hazare Trophy games, what to do and where to bowl. You have to share the experience. You’re not going to be here forever and you’re not going to have the opportunity to play and play in India forever. The standard of cricket remains high,” he added.Kohli also revealed that he spoke to Mohammed Siraj ahead of RCB’s IPL match against Gujarat Titans this season.“Before playing Gujarat (Titans) in Bengaluru, I spoke to Siraj on the boundary. I told him my observations – how I saw him run in and how it was different from before. He talked to me about the rhythm. And we play them two days later… I should be able to play his best version. I want him to be in the best shape to compete with him. This is the best opportunity for me. I am ready to help. That’s how I look at it.” Kohli explained.The former Indian captain also spoke about helping players from rival IPL teams and said the bigger picture is Indian cricket.Referring to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Kohli said: “Look at my situation. If Yashasvi Jaiswal approaches me before we have to play Rajasthan Royals, right? He’s probably looked up to me for a long time. Now I’m thinking, ‘He needs help’. Even if he plays against us, it’s one game for the whole season. But if he plays well, it won’t play well for India. He could score against us tomorrow or the day after.” Kohli said during an appearance on the RCB Podcast.“Despite Jaiswal scoring, we should find a way to win. Whatever it is, he may or may not. I’m not saying he will. There’s a possibility he could. So naturally I can’t go into a space where I say, ‘He needs help. Do it now.’ Two hours later he will practice. He probably called me once on the way to a game. So I think it will help him in a way that can improve his game. He can score, he can have a great season, it can open things up for him.”
