The experience at RCB was phenomenal: Mandeep Singh
Having previously been a part of the Kings XI Punjab squad, Mandeep Singh was acquired by Royal Challengers Bangalore through the transfer window in 2015.
Amidst the presence of Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, the Punjab batsman was assigned to bat at a difficult position.
Mandeep Singh managed to score 157 runs at a strike rate of 157 in 14 matches. An 18-ball 45 against KKR and a fighting 34-ball 54* against RR - Mandeep Singh curated two substantial knocks in 2015.
"The experience at RCB was phenomenal. I feel I am a hard-working guy but the first time I saw Virat Kohli, I realised I had to increase my intensity. He would not stay long hours in the gym, but at the end of every session, you could see that he had given it his all," Mandeep quoted as saying to Sportskeeda.
Having rubbed shoulders with the stalwarts of the game, Mandeep Singh realized that he needed to fine-tune his batting skills in order to stand out from the rest.
Like any other youngster in the country, Mandeep Singh draws inspiration from Virat Kohli.
"He (Virat Kohli) has the fire to score a lot of runs. I realised from Virat that you don't need to hit only sixes, there's a lot more than that. He's consistent only because of his fitness. It's his hunger to score runs. AB told me to learn that hunger from him and not only his technique," Mandeep added.
In 2016, Royal Challengers Bangalore suffered a major setback when Mandeep Singh was ruled out of the tournament citing an injury.
However, Mandeep kept a keen eye on his team's performance on the sidelines and was also mesmerised by Virat Kohli's stroke play and his hunger for runs.
"My mother, even though she does not watch or follow too much cricket, wanted to see the fire in Virat Kohli's eyes in my eyes as well. Every match he scored runs, but he still wanted to score more. He didn't stop. He never liked getting out, I learned a lot from that season," the batsman added.
The Punjab skipper was also vocal about his experience batting alongside AB de Villiers.
The pair have shared a few memorable partnerships for RCB, particularly against Rajasthan Royals at the MCA Stadium.
The 28-year-old batsman also revealed how AB de Villiers' piece of guidance was instrumental in overcoming through the turbulent phase.
"AB de Villiers told me that there was nothing to worry and I still had a lot of time left. He told me that 90% of the batsmen peak after the age of 28, and I still had plenty of time to learn. That advice helped me and from the last 1-1.5 years, I have grown confident about my style. How many ever mistakes I have done, I have learned a lot from them, " - Mandeep quoted as saying.
Having been associated with the team for over four years, Mandeep Singh was traded back to KXIP. In 40 matches, Mandeep has amassed 597 runs at a strike rate of 128.94 for the Bengaluru franchise.
The 28-year-old believes that his stint with RCB eventually helped him develop into a better player and a better human being, and also quoted that Bengaluru will always be his second home.
"Bengaluru is like my second home. I miss RCB, it's a great franchise. But to play for Punjab, I feel a lot of pride," Mandeep quoted.
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