When RCB signed me, I felt proud: Mahipal Lomror

Royal Challengers Banagalore's (RCB) rising all-rounder Mahipal Lomror recently opened up about his happiness after the franchise picked him at the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction. The youngster has amassed 133 runs from nine matches in the ongoing IPL 2023 and also registered his first-ever half-century in the cash-rich league.

The 23-year-old said it is every sportsman's dream to get an opportunity to play in a team that has a huge fan base. While opening up about his excitement after he came to know that he will play for RCB, he said that he thought about playing with Virat Kohli. He added that he felt very proud after the auction. 

“My expectations from the auction were very high. The 2-3 trials I had given had all gone well. Even in the prior IPL seasons, I had performed well in the 4-5 opportunities that I got so I expected some team would pick me. So, when RCB signed me, I thought to myself that I will be playing in the same team as Virat Kohli, a team that has such a big name and fanbase. I felt proud," Lomror was heard saying while speaking in the latest episode of RCB Bold Diaries.

While reflecting on his 54-run unbeaten innings against the Delhi Capitals (DC), Lomror stated that he hadn't scored a lot of runs before that match and wanted to make a contribution to the team. He added that when he got such an opportunity, he did not think much about the outcome but rather responded to the situation. Notably, the Faf du Plessis-led side suffered a seven-wicket loss against DC in that game. 

“Before that match, I had not scored much so obviously I wanted to contribute something to the team and help them win. When I got that opportunity after we lost two wickets in two balls my approach was to not think about the results but to react to the situation," he added.

We feel very happy to see him play alongside Virat sir: Lomror's father

The youngster's parents, who were also present in the episode, expressed their happiness in their son's achievements so far. His father, Krishan Kumar Lomror, stated his pleasure at seeing his son play beside the former India captain and expressed hope that he may play for India in the future. 

“We feel very happy to see him play alongside Virat sir. We are very proud of his achievement and will be happy to see him play for India one day,” said Lomror's father.