Last Updated: April 18, 2023, 4:14 PM IST
KKR pacer Vaibhav Arora (Twitter/@KKRiders)
Vaibhav Arora and Kulwant Khejroliya got the opportunity to meet their idol Dale Steyn after Kolkata’s face-off against Hyderabad
Dale Steyn is certainly a name of inspiration for the present-generation fast bowlers. After taking his retirement from the sport in 2021, Styne put his focus on coaching responsibilities and currently serves as the bowling coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad, an IPL franchise for which he played five seasons as a player. His guidance, however, is not limited to the Hyderabad squad as the 39-year-old was recently spotted helping two young pacers of the Kolkata Knight Riders- Vaibhav Arora and Kulwant Khejroliya- with his golden advice. In between these, Arora revealed his long-standing admiration for Steyn, saying that the legendary pacer was his “first Instagram DP.”
Arora and Khejroliya got the opportunity to meet their idol after Kolkata’s face-off against Hyderabad on April 14 at the Eden Gardens. A clip of their conversation was dropped on KKR’s official Instagram page. Dale Steyn was caught in a lighter mood, telling the uncapped Indian bowlers that they could call or text the ex-South African international anytime they want.
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The video opens with Steyn patting the back of Khejroliya and saying, “You got my number? Anytime you need help, just give me a call.” After Arora told the legendary pacer about his first Instagram DP, Steyn reacted with a hearty smile and surprisingly asked, “Really? Is it?”
Kolkata Knight Riders roped in both pacer prodigies- Vaibhav Arora and Kulwant Khejroliya- during the IPL 2023 mini-auction. Arora made his IPL debut last season for Punjab Kings and picked up 3 wickets in five appearances. Khejroliya, on the other hand, represented Royal Challenger Bangalore beforehand and has 3 IPL wickets under his belt. Although, they are still awaiting their maiden opportunity for the new franchise.
Dale Steyn was a rare breed of pacer during his playing days, having the ability to bowl with enough variations while also maintaining a lethal speed of around 150 kmph. Not only in the Proteas colours, Steyn also enjoyed a memorable career in the Indian Premier League (IPL), representing several franchises from 2008 to 2020. The right-arm quick has featured in 93 IPL matches and has picked up 97 wickets in total. For South Africa, Steyn has made 265 appearances across all formats and has recorded 699 scalps.
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