79:Mohammed Azharuddeen left &
Kerala wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammed Azharuddeen recently hogged the limelight after he played the innings of his life. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 trophy, Azharuddeen had smashed 137 runs from 52 balls against Mumbai at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. It was his knock that helped his team chase a massive target of 197 runs.
His knock went on to become the talk of the country and was one of the best innings that fans witnessed in the tournament. The 26-year-old even expressed his desire to play in the IPL for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) as he was a big fan of Indian skipper Virat Kohli.
Azharuddeen's dream came true not long after as the youngster was picked by Kohli-led Bangalore side in the IPL 2021 auction. He was snapped at his base price of INR 20 lakh. In a recent interview, the cricketer has now revealed that he got a text message from his hero. Although he initially did not believe that it was Kohli himself, he verified it from his state teammate Sanju Samson.
I didn't reply initially, verified from Samson: Azharuddeen
"Yes, two minutes after the auction he texted me. 'Welcome to RCB, all the best. Virat here,'" he said in an interview with Times Now.
"Firstly, I was shocked. I didn’t reply initially. I went to Sanju bhai and asked him if it’s Virat bhai’s number. After Sanju confirmed it, only after that I replied. I never thought he will message me. I also responded to the message as I wrote, ‘That means my world.’ I am so excited and I am looking forward to meeting him in the IPL," Azharuddeen added.
In his short T20 career, he has played 24 T20 matches so far and scored 451 runs at a strike rate of 142.13.