Indian cricket stalwart Virat Kohli delivered an inspirational message at the inauguration ceremony of a cricket academy at DPS (Delhi Public School) RK Puram on Tuesday, urging students to respect their learning environment and pursue their dreams with honesty and commitment. Speaking to students during the event, Kohli said he was not accustomed to addressing school gatherings but connected deeply with the audience, having once been in the same stage of life. Reflecting on his own journey, he highlighted how his priorities shifted early as he chose cricket as his career path.

“Thank you for having me. I’m not used to speaking in schools, so this is going to be a bit awkward for me because I moved away from the school setup long ago for cricket, and that’s what I’m going to talk about. I understand the environment of a school. I’ve been through the same process and stage that all you kids are a part of right now. And I can just share from my own experience how my focus and priority changed very early on in my life,” Kohli said.

The 37-year-old added, “What I want to say is, a school is a place where you come to learn, you come to grow, you become better people.”

#WATCH | Delhi: Cricket star Virat Kohli inaugurated a branch of West Delhi Cricket Academy at DPS RK Puram. His childhood coach, Rajkumar Sharma was also with him. pic.twitter.com/gQumDN5om8

— ANI (@ANI) April 28, 2026

The great cricketer further emphasised the role of educators in shaping character and ability, noting that they dedicate a significant part of their lives to guiding students.

“Have respect and regard for that environment first. For your teachers, for the people who are teaching you. They are giving you a part of their lives. It’s very important to give them that respect and the focus and attention that’s required,” Kohli added.

Sharing insights from his own life decisions, Kohli spoke about his early commitment to cricket and the importance of clarity in one’s goals.

“I chose sport very early on in my life, but that came from a very honest place. I was very sure that I wanted to go ahead and pursue cricket, and I had to be honest with myself, my family, and also my teachers to convey to them that this is the path I want to take,” the former Indian captain said. said.

He advised students to be self-aware and fully committed to their ambitions. “Be honest with your dreams, about what you want to do and follow that dream with absolute commitment. Only you will know whether you are being 100% honest or not.”

Recalling his long association with the academy, Kohli said it remained a significant part of his life and childhood.

“I started practising when I was eight years old, and I still continue to come to the academy whenever I get time. And it’s a big part of my childhood, and I hope all the kids that come to learn cricket here can value it, can learn something from the academy. And I hope it does wonders for the school, the cricket setup here as well. So, I wish everyone all the very best,” the 37-year-old concluded.

Meanwhile, Kohli became the first player to complete 9000 runs in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Monday. The right-handed batter achieved this milestone during his RCB’s away match against DC at his home stadium of Arun Jaitley Stadium, from where his journey as a cricketer started.

RCB opted to field first, and excellent spells from Josh Hazlewood (4/12) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3/5) reduced DC to 75 in 16.3 overs, with Abishek Porel (30) and David Miller (19) offering some resistance. RCB batters came out all guns blazing as Jacob Bethell (20 in 10 balls, with a four and two sixes), Devdutt Padikkal (34* in 13 balls, with three fours and three sixes), and Virat Kohli (25* in 13 balls, with a four and two sixes) sealed the chase in 6.3 overs.

With this win, RCB have registered their sixth win in eight matches, with 12 points to their name. RCB are at number two in the points tally. This fifth defeat for DC, who have won three, keeps them at seventh spot in the points table.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Alex Pereira might not have it easy in his quest to become a three-division UFC champion, according to Francis Ngannou.

The former UFC heavyweight champion makes his return to MMA on the Netflix card as he faces Philipe Lins.

However, he also has his eyes on other fights that the UFC is prepping. One of those is the highly anticipated clash between Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane at the Freedom 250 card.

The Brazilian is a former light heavyweight and middleweight champion, and is keen on winning the heavyweight title.

However, Gane is a difficult opponent, at least that is what Ngannou thinks. Gane is a former interim champion, but lost two of the three undisputed title fights that he had.

His last fight was against Tom Apsinall for the heavyweight title. The clash ended in a no-contest after the champion was unable to continue after several eye pokes from Gane.

Ngannou was speaking to Helen Yee and was asked about this fight. ‘The Predator’ didn’t think this matchup was good for the Brazilian:

“I don’t know, I have no idea. I think Ciryl has more tools here, and Alex Pereira has his own style, Ciryl Gane has his own style. For me, and I might be wrong, but this is not a good matchup for Alex Pereira, in terms of style.”

Ngannou further explained why Pereira should be wary of Gane:

“Basically, he is moving up a division and having to face a heavyweight that is lighter than a light heavyweight. Lighter on his feet.”

Ngannou was also asked who he preferred in the matchup, and his prediction was that Gane would win the clash.

Check out Francis Ngannou speaking about Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane from 6:42:

Alex Pereira’s former rival believes Ciryl Gane has great chance to beat Brazilian

It’s not just Francis Ngannou who believes Ciryl Gane can defeat Alex Pereira. Artem Vakhitov, the last man to defeat the Brazilian in kickboxing, has been brought in by Gane for training ahead of the Freedom 250 card.

In a recent interview with Standemup, Vakhitov claimed that Gane has a great chance to defeat Pereira based on the training sessions with the Frenchman:

“Now I think there’s a 70% chance Ciryl Gane beats Alex Pereira. I would say it’s 70/30; of course, Ciryl has the edge. Most importantly, he has everything: speed, endurance, mindset, classic kickboxing, and a sense of distance. It only remains a mental game now, to come out angry and aggressive in this fight, then everything will work out for him, I think.”