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May 23, 2024
Sunil Gavaskar had severely criticized RCB star Virat Kohli for his poor strike rate in the first half of the IPL 2024 season.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) stalwart Virat Kohli was at the center of heavy criticism over his performances in the first half of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 campaign. As RCB lost 7 of their first 8 games of the tournament, Kohli was one of the players blamed for the team’s poor run, with his strike rate becoming a constant talking point. Even the great Sunil Gavaskar lashed out at Virat for his lack of intent, prompting a reply from the RCB star too. AB de Villiers has joined the debate, saying seeing Virat in the line of fire wasn’t pleasing.
De Villiers, in a chat on Jio Cinema, even recalled his experience playing against Kohli, saying his message to teammates would be “do not say anything to Virat” as criticism seems to get the best out of him.
“I thought it was… really bad for someone like that for a hero and a role model of the country to get so much criticism around that. But the way I know him, I just knew, and that’s exactly what I mentioned on my show. I said, guys, you have no idea what happens to this guy when he catches criticism. The many years I’ve played against him, I used to tell the players in the team room, you do not say one word to Virat on the pitch because he will come out and he will score a big 100 if you try and chirp him,” De Villiers was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
“Maybe it was a blessing in disguise, getting a bit of criticism, because stuff like that motivates him so much,” he added.
Speaking of Virat’s role at the T20 World Cup, De Villiers even went against the popular suggestion, saying the marquee batter shouldn’t open the innings alongside Rohit Sharma and continue occupying the No. 3 spot.
“I feel he’s a number three batsman and that’s where he’s most impactful. He’s almost like the captain of the batting team everywhere he goes. He keeps the calmness and the composure within the batting unit,” the former South Africa captain said.
“I know Virat himself really enjoys opening, which is great. You’ve got to respect that from a man who’s played the game for many years. He understands his game really well, and he understands what he wants out of the game as well.
“But if I was playing a TV game, Xbox, he would come in at number three in my team. I feel there’s too much risk in those first couple of overs to go and ask Virat to take the game on, to hit the ball in the air. All I want him to do is to bat between overs 4 and 16-17, somewhere there.
“I feel that’s where he’s best in the world by a country mile and that’s where he’s most impactful,” he asserted.
Chennai Super Kings star mocked RCB on social media over their repeated failure to lift the IPL title but later deleted the story he posted on Instagram.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s 6-match winning streak ended in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 Eliminator clash against Rajasthan Royals on Wednesday. RCB posted a fighting total of 172/8 on the board and even managed to unnerve the Rajasthan Royals batter to some extent. Still, the score was never enough for Faf du Plessis and Co. to go through. As RCB missed another chance to go in the tournament, courtesy of their defeat against RR in the Eliminator, Chennai Super Kings star Tushar Deshpande shared an Instagram story mocking the Bengaluru side. But later, deleted it.
Taking to Instagram, the CSK pacer Deshpande shared a story that read: “CSK fans are built different” with a picture of ‘Bengaluru Cant’ railway station. Understanding the backlash over such a post, Deshpande then deleted it.
As for the match, Rajasthan ended with 174/6, chasing 173, as Rovman Powell (16 not out) provided the finishing touches in a tense finish.
As he has done several times before this season, Riyan Parag (36 off 26) showcased deep resolve in an adverse situation to help Rajasthan stay alive in the tournament. It was the Royals’ first win after four losses and an abandoned game.
2008 winners Royals face Sunrisers Hyderabad in Chennai on Friday for a place in the IPL final.
The returning Shimron Hetmyer also played his part to perfection, scoring a crucial 26 off 14 balls.
In a contest where fortunes swung from one side to another, RR remained ahead with impactful performances throughout, even though Mohammed Siraj (2/33) raised late hopes for RCB with wickets of Parag and Hetmyer in the 18th over. With 13 needed off the last two overs, Powell found two fours off Lockie Ferguson to seal the deal in favor of his side.
Earlier, Yashasvi Jaiswal (45 off 30) gave them the impetus at the top.
Off to an unconvincing start with his initial runs coming off the outside edge, Jaiswal grew in confidence when Yash Dayal fed him a few deliveries to capitalize on, and the RR opener cracked four fours in the third over to break the shackles.
At the other end, Tom Kohler-Cadmore (20) also hit a couple of fours against Siraj while getting a lifeline from Glenn Maxwell, who spilled a sitter at deep square leg off Dayal.
With RR’s rapid acceleration shaving runs off the target, RCB needed a breakthrough. Lockie Ferguson provided the first success when he foxed Kohler-Cadmore with a slow yorker that crashed into the stumps.
The gradual progression of Jaiswal’s innings saw the batter find his rhythm. Still, the extreme heat sapped him out, and ultimately, he faced a mere 29 balls.
In between the ninth and the 10th over, Jaiswal received on-field treatment and got back up only to play a loose shot — an attempted ramp off Cameron Green but only gloved it to the ‘keeper.
Soon after, Karn Sharma dealt a body blow by stumping Sanju Samson (17).
With their tails up, RCB continued making inroads, with Dhruv Jurel (8) being run out after a brilliant effort from Virat Kohli and Cameron Green. Kohli fired a sharp throw from deep midwicket to the non-striker’s end, where Jurel was found short of his crease.
RR were firmly under pressure heading into the 15th over when they chose to go after Green, who had been all over them with three tidy overs and a wicket until then.
Hetmyer smacked the Australian for a six. Parag followed his partner in hitting another while finding a four to collect 17 runs.
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Katarzyna Nowak is a seasoned writer with over five years of experience in editorial content, news reporting, and cricket sportsbook app reviews. As an author for Top Cricket News, she combines her deep understanding of the sports betting industry with a passion for cricket, delivering insightful and accurate content that keeps readers informed and engaged.
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