Royal Challengers Bangalore has got a horrific start to the IPL 2019. Apart from a close loss against Mumbai Indians, they have been blown away against Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Against CSK, they were bowled out for a paltry 70 runs while SRH defeated them by 118 runs. They will next face Rajasthan Royals on April 2 and RCB batsman AB de Villiers have voiced his opinions regarding his team’s chances.
ABD made 70 runs against MI, which RCB lost by 6 runs in a controversial manner. The last ball bowled by Lasith Malinga was overlooked by the umpires. Apart from that innings, ABD hasn’t fired at all. They now need to defeat RR, who also lost their first three matches.
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There is balance in the team
ABD wrote his and skipper Virat Kohli’s feelings after they sat in the hotel post their defeat against SRH. In his column for the Times of India (TOI), ABD wrote, “It just so happened that Virat Kohli and I were sitting beside each other on the RCB bus back to the hotel after our emphatic defeat against Sunrisers in Hyderabad. He looked at me. I looked at him. There was nothing to say.
This was not what we expected. We have been together as a squad for more than two weeks now, and we have worked exceptionally hard. Our preparation has been excellent, and the team feels balanced. No question, we should be winning matches. And yet, we are not winning. We’ve played three and lost three, and RCB supporters are rightly concerned by the prospect of another disappointing season.”
ABD also gave full credit to SRH as their batsmen David Warner (100*) and Jonny Bairstow (114) scored centuries. SRH’s Afghan spinner Mohammad Nabi (4/11) rattled RCB’s chase of 232 as they were reeling at 30/6 at one point.
“We were humbled in Hyderabad, no question. Jonny Bairstow and David Warner produced an epic opening partnership of 165 runs, starting fast and maintaining the pace for more than 16 overs.
Chasing a target of 231 was always going to be tough, and it became almost impossible as we were reduced to 35 for six by the off-breaks of Mohammad Nabi.” De Villiers wrote in his column.
“Without taking anything away from SRH, the game might have been different if, for example, the ball had looped from the leading edge of Warner’s bat to a fielder instead of a gap,” de Villiers added.