RCB team 2021 prodigy Mohammad Azharuddeen dazzles with stunning, acrobatic run out: WATCH

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) acquired the services of Kerala-based cricketer Mohammad Azharuddeen at the IPL 2021 auction. The Mohammad Azharuddeen IPL 2021 base price was set at ₹20 lakh and the cricketer was bought for the same amount. The right-handed wicketkeeper-batsman has been in sensational form in the shortest format of the game in recent times, particularly in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy where he amassed 214 runs at an average of 53.50 while maintaining a staggering strike-rate of 194.54 at the top of the order.

Mohammad Azharuddeen IPL 2021: RCB's latest recruit amazes fans with acrobatic stumping

Azharuddin carried the same form in a local T20 tournament (KCA President’s Cup T20) in Kerala as he affected an acrobatic run-out. During the KCA Tuskers innings, the two batsmen tried to steal a single. The cover fielder quickly collected the ball and threw it towards Azharuddeen but the throw was a wild one. Despite the inaccurate throw, Azharuddeen jumped in, almost cartwheeling to pluck the ball from thin air and managed to dislodge the bails swiftly to run the batsman out.

The video of the acrobatic runout went viral in no time. Several reactions poured in as fans lauded him for his athleticism. Azharuddeen's incredible glovework is certainly good news for RCB team 2021 who have struggled immensely in the past to find a decent Indian wicket-keeper batsman. Azharuddeen's sharp wicketkeeping skills and finishing abilities are certainly set to solve one of RCB team 2021's major conundrums.

Mohammed Azharuddeen shares the text he got from Virat Kohli after IPL 2021 auction

Azharuddeen shared an interesting anecdote of how his dream to play for RCB in IPL 2021 came true and how one phone message made his day. Almost 2 minutes after the IPL auction on February 18, Azharuddeen, who had been picked by Bangalore at his base price of ₹20 lakh, received a text from skipper Virat Kohli and fellow RCB member welcoming him into the squad reading-- "Welcome to RCB, all the best. Virat here." 

According to Azharuddeen, the text was too good to be true, hence he refused to believe it was from Kohli, rushing to Sanju Samson to confirm if it was really his number. After confirmation from his state teammate, the Kerala cricketer replied - "That means my world", sharing that he was excited to meet him and play alongside him. 

RCB match schedule: Virat Kohli and co. to take on Mumbai Indians in Chennai

The entirety of the IPL 2021 season will be played at neutral venues. As per the RCB IPL schedule, they are slated to play three matches in Chennai, two in Mumbai, four at the newly-renovated Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad and five of them at Kolkata respectively.

RCB team for IPL 2021

RCB players retained

Virat Kohli (c), AB de Villiers, Devdutt Padikkal, Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Josh Philippe, Pavan Deshpande, Shahbaz Ahmed, Adam Zampa, Kane Richardson, Daniel Sams and Harshal Patel.

RCB players purchased at IPL 2021 auction

Glenn Maxwell, Mohammed Azharuddeen, Sachin Baby, Kyle Jamieson, KS Bharat, Rajat Patidar, Dan Christian and Suyash Prabhudessai.

SOURCE: MOHAMMED AZHARUDDEEN INSTAGRAM