Kamal Ghorui
Punjab Kings’ new signing Vishal Nishad has spoken about the role Virat Kohli played in shaping his cricket journey and said he would show respect to his idol if he ever gets him out in a match.Nishad said Kohli was the reason he took up the sport and remains his biggest influence. “My idol is Virat Kohli. I am inspired by his attitude and his drive; he’s my favourite,” Nishad said.
Asked how he would react if he managed to dismiss Kohli, the right-arm spin bowler said, “If I take his wicket, I’ll touch his feet because he’s my idol.”Nishad’s journey to the IPL has not been easy. He spoke about the difficulties his family faced and the moments when he thought about giving up cricket. “There were tough times. I used to go with my father and help him [with work]. I even thought I’d quit cricket,” he recalled.He said his family initially had doubts about his future in the game. “My mother told me to leave it and learn something else because becoming a cricketer is so difficult. But I didn’t give up. I told her, ‘Mom, I will definitely do it.’ Once they saw my resolve, my family stood behind me.”Nishad began his cricketing journey playing tennis-ball matches before moving to leather-ball cricket. He said the shift happened after encouragement from a friend. “Initially, I played tennis-ball cricket. A friend watched me throw and suggested to try the leather ball because he liked my action. After that, I decided to practice seriously. That’s how it all started,” he said.He also credited his coach and local cricket for helping him progress. “My coach didn’t charge me fees for three years. Eventually, I played in a local T20 tournament in Uttar Pradesh and performed well. After two years of playing in the tournament, I landed up here (with Punjab Kings).”Explaining how he became a bowler, Nishad said his early days with the tennis ball helped him develop key skills. “As I was practicing with the tennis ball initially, I got used to making it spin. I adapted my tennis-ball skills to the leather ball, which played a major role in me becoming a bowler.”
