News Analysis India

Tag: IPL 15

  • Maharashtra minister Sunil Kedar ‘hopeful’ of crowds at four venues of IPL 2022 matches

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Maharashtra Sports Minister Sunil Kedar on Saturday said he is hopeful that crowds would be allowed for the IPL matches that are set to take place in Maharashtra, starting from March 26.

    The league matches of the upcoming edition of the cash-rich tournament will be held across four venues – iconic Wankhede stadium, Cricket Club of India (Brabourne stadium), DY Patil Stadium and Maharashtra Cricket Association stadium at Gahunje in Pune.

    “I hope the way COVID-19 cases are reducing day by day, we have a free (atmosphere). We hope that when IPL matches take place, at that time the atmosphere will be such that all people will be permitted to visit the stadiums. It will be a boost to players and it will be a good opportunity where people can come together. People have been sitting in homes for one-and-half to two years, we can hope (for that),” Kedar told reporters here at a press conference.

    ALSO READ| Aaditya Thackeray visits Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium to review IPL preparations

    As many as 20 games each will be held at Wankhede and DY Patil, while 15 each will be hosted at Brabourne and Gahunje Stadium. “It is our good fortune that all the (league) matches will be held in Maharashtra, in Pune and Mumbai. Being the Sports Minister of the state, I am thankful to the BCCI. With regard to bubbles and restrictions, and also how many people will be allowed to watch the games there, all those things, we will work that out as per the international rules,” said Kedar.

    Earlier in the day Kedar’s ministerial colleague and Maharashtra Minister Aaditya Thackeray had visited the Wankhede stadium to review the preparations. “Spectators will be allowed as per guidelines set by the Maharashtra government and to start with, it will be 40 percent. If the COVID situation remains under control and cases decline, it might be full house at the business end,” said a source in the know of things.

  • IPL retentions: David Warner, Jonny Bairstow not retained by Sunrisers Hyderabad

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) has not retained star openers David Warner and Jonny Bairstow ahead of the mega auction of the upcoming season. All the eight IPL franchises will reveal the list of their retained players later today. SRH thanked all the players ahead of the event on Tuesday.

    “We thank the players for their contribution to SRH over the years. This is not a goodbye, as we hope to welcome back some Risers in the auction,” SRH captioned the post on Instagram. Commenting on the post, Warner express gratitude towards the fans and penned an emotional note confirming he won’t play for SRH in the upcoming season.

    “Thanks to all of you for your support over the years, up and downs, my family and I can’t stress enough how much we appreciated the love and passion you showed towards us and the team. Candice and I truely wish all the fans the very best for the future and hope who ever you wish to support the best. Love the Warner’s,” Warner said.

    Bairstow, the England opener, also thanked fans for the support during his stint with SRH. “Thank you all for your support! Hopefully at some point our paths cross again in the future,” Bairstow commented on the post.

    The two new Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises — Lucknow and Ahmedabad were allotted a budget of Rs 33 crore to pick three players who go back into the pool before the mega auction begins.

    In the mail sent by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to all the franchises, which had been accessed by ANI, the rules were formally conveyed and the salary purse for all the teams was set at Rs 90 crore.

    The amount is an increase from the IPL 2021 auction as then the purse was of Rs 85 crore. The eight existing franchises (CSK, KKR, RCB, Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings and SunRisers Hyderabad) have been allowed to retain up to four players.

    The BCCI had set the retention window for the eight older franchises from November 1-30, and the window for Lucknow and Ahmedabad is from December 1-25.

    If one of the eight existing franchises decides to retain four players, then they will be debited Rs 16 crore for the first player, Rs 12 crore for the second player, Rs 8 crore for the third player, and Rs 6 crore for the fourth player and the total deduction will be 42 crore.

    For the eight franchises, rules have been set that they cannot retain more than three Indians (capped/uncapped). They cannot retain more than two overseas players and not more than two uncapped Indian players.

    For the two new franchises — Lucknow and Ahmedabad — they cannot pick more than two Indian players (capped/uncapped). They cannot pick more than one overseas player and more than one Indian uncapped player.

  • Venkatesh Iyer was a big catalyst in KKR’s turnaround in UAE leg: KKR coach Brendon McCullum

    By PTI

    DUBAI: Kolkata Knight Riders head coach Brendon McCullum says young Venkatesh Iyer, with his flamboyance, played the role of a catalyst in turning around the fortunes of the side in the second leg of the just-concluded IPL here.

    KKR was languishing at the seventh spot after the India leg was suspended in May this year due to COVID-19 outbreak in the tournament’s bio-bubble, but the Eoin Morgan-led side made a fantastic turnaround in the UAE phase, finishing as runner-up after losing to Chennai Super Kings by 27 runs in the final on Friday night.

    “He (Iyer) will be challenged to change his methods at times too. He might not necessarily be the most consistent because of his flamboyancy. But I hope he remains the Venkatesh Iyer that we have seen so far. He’s got an enormous future in this game and he’s a very intelligent man. He was a big catalyst for our turnaround this season,” McCullum said at the post-match press conference.

    McCullum said that Iyer’s has been “incredible story” after the lanky southpaw from Indore amassed 370 runs from 10 games this season. “But look, Venkatesh Iyer has been quite an incredible story. Looking back, he was actually going to play the last game, the next game when we were in India. In a funny way, the break came at a good time there. It gave him an opportunity to just get another couple of months of cricket under his belt, to understand that his opportunities weren’t too far away,” he said.

    Himself a big advocate of aggressive brand of cricket, McCullum felt Iyer should not change his attacking game. “For him, it was a matter of bringing the game which he owns – the Venkatesh Iyer game plan to the table, which is aggressive intent. He’s a big presence, he’s a tall man. He plays the game with a bit of a cavalier kind of streak. And that is so important that he holds on to it,” said the KKR head coach.

    Asked about Iyer’s chances of featuring in KKR’s retention list next season, McCullum quipped: “Look, we will deal with it next season.”

  • Outplayed by very good CSK, Russell missed final as he was still at risk: KKR coach Brendon McCullum

    By PTI

    DUBAI: Kolkata Knight Riders head coach Brendon McCullum conceded that his team was outplayed by a very good Chennai Super Kings side in the IPL final but also blamed an underwhelming middle-order batting performance for the comprehensive loss.

    MCullum also stated that explosive batter Andre Russell could not make the XI despite working hard to be match-fit after a hamstring injury.

    MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings to their fourth Indian Premier League title, outwitting Kolkata Knight Riders by 27 runs in a one-sided final on Friday. “It’s a shame that we fell short, but we were outplayed by a very good CSK side today,” McCullum said at the post-match press conference.

    McCullum agreed that Kolkata suffered a middle-order collapse and when asked whether the problem lay precisely there. “Yeah, I think, that’s a fair assessment. I think, our bowling group did really good job, we fielded well and our top-order batting was superb, but unfortunately we weren’t quite able to get the real impact through our middle-order players… there is a lot of experience there and they did not have the greatest of tournaments and that can happen at times,” lamented McCullum.

    “…but again I am just really proud of all the guys for their efforts and what a story it was to go as close as we did after being under the pump half way through the,” he added. The former New Zealand mainstay said the campaign has been fulfilling in more ways than one. “…more positives than negatives, that is for sure and we walk away with our head held high,” he asserted.

    McCullum also explained why Russell, who was recovering from a hamstring injury, could not make it to the summit clash. “…Andre obviously had a hamstring tear early on in the competition. He worked unbelievably hard to try and get himself available. He was still at risk there. And it was a risk, I felt in a final, we just couldn’t afford to take,” the former wicketkeeper-batter explained.

    “And then we had another hamstring issue with Rahul Tripathi, so, look, such is the nature of hamstrings that he was never really sure whether they are going to be fully healed or not, and it’s such a big risk. …in the end we decided to go for the guys who had done so well for us to get into the final and I am really proud of all their achievements,” he added.

    McCullum also lavished praise on the in-form Venkatesh Iyer, who played a key role in the team making it to the summit clash. Kolkata were languishing at the seventh spot after the India leg of the IPL was suspended, but in a remarkable turn of fortunes, the Eoin Morgan-led side ended up second.

    Iyer amassed 370 runs from the 10 games that he played in the 2021 season and the head coach termed his story as an incredible one.

  • Rewarding to ward off criticism and finish four-year cycle with trophy: CSK coach Stephen Fleming

    By PTI

    DUBAI: Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming is a proud and satisfied man after his old brigade warded off criticism to end their four-year Indian Premier League cycle with a “rewarding” title.

    Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni played his part to perfection in an extraordinary script as he led an ageing CSK to their fourth IPL title, outwitting Kolkata Knight Riders by 27 runs in a one-sided final on Friday night. “There was criticism about the age of our squad but it’s rewarding to finish the four-year cycle with the trophy,” Fleming said.

    “Experience is important, guys who have been there and done it before add so much. We don’t get too deep into analytics and numbers, we go with gut feel and developing relationships with players. It’s old school but it works for us,” he added.

    ALSO READ| Check what the Super Kings had to say after they won IPL

    Fleming said that all the four IPL titles are special to him but the current one holds greater significance as it was bagged by an ageing side, who were written off at the start of the tournament. “It is very hard to rank them (the titles). It is also special because you work so hard and the result of a lot of hard work, so they (the titles) are all very special,” Fleming said at the post-match press conference.

    “I think, the one win in 2018, coming back, was very emotional but there is a lot of hard work in this one. I don’t think a lot of people had any hopes from us to be able to maintain our competitiveness during this cycle. We were pretty much written off,” he added.

    “So, there is little bit of satisfaction around that and a lot of pride in what the players have been able to achieve and maintain the standards over a number of months and that was a challenge for an ageing side. I am really proud about what they did and in the way they played,” he added.

    Fleming said the title was a recognition of the hardwork the ageing squad has put in and hinted that there will be a few changes in the team next year. “There is emotion around, I think when you get to an end of a cycle, you are not going to get some players back, so there (was) some emotions around these last games. When you win it, it is celebration and also recognition of what players have put in,” he said.

    “Chennai always had a system or belief that you maintain players and keep them with you for a long period of time, you get the best out of them. There are some players that have been with us for a long time. It will be interesting to see over the next few months how it pans out but most teams are probably going to have a bit of change to them” he added.

    The former New Zealand captain, who also won his fourth title with CSK as head coach, said the opening partnership between Faf Du Plessis and young Ruturaj Gaikwad was one of the reasons for the team’s success.

    He also lavished praise on Ruturaj, who emerged as the highest run-getter this season. “Yeah, I do (see him as the next star of Indian cricket). He (Ruturaj) is an absolute superstar already in my eyes. When we introduced him last year, people were little bit critical but we (had) such high expectations from him. We are really delighted that he finished off the season so well. He is a wonderful kid,” said Fleming about the Pune-based opener.

    “His craft this year, he mastered opening batting. With him and Faf (Du Plessis) to score that many runs, it’s one of the real reasons we won the IPL,” he added.

  • Don’t get too deep into analytics, go with gut feel: Coach Stephen Fleming on CSK’s winning mantra

    By PTI

    DUBAI: IPL champions for a fourth time, Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming says the secret of his ageing warriors’ success is that they rely more on gut feel and interpersonal relationships instead of going too deeply into analytics and numbers.

    Fleming was a proud and satisfied man after his old brigade, led by 40-year-old talisman in Mahendra Singh Dhoni, claimed the title on Friday, outplaying Kolkata Knight Riders by 27 runs. “There was criticism about the age of our squad but it’s rewarding to finish the four-year cycle with the trophy,” Fleming said.

    “Experience is important, guys who have been there and done it before add so much. We don’t get too deep into analytics and numbers, we go with gut feel and developing relationships with players. It’s old school but it works for us,” he added.

    Fleming said all the four IPL titles are special to him but the current one holds greater significance as it was bagged by a side, which was written off at the start of the tournament. “It is very hard to rank them (the titles). It is also special because you work so hard and the result of a lot of hard work, so they (the titles) are all very special,” Fleming said at the post-match press conference.

    ALSO READ| Check what the Super Kings had to say after they won IPL

    “I think, the one win in 2018, coming back, was very emotional but there is a lot of hard work in this one. I don’t think a lot of people had any hopes from us to be able to maintain our competitiveness during this cycle. We were pretty much written off,” Fleming said.

    “So, there is little bit of satisfaction around that and a lot of pride in what the players have been able to achieve and maintain the standards over a number of months and that was a challenge for an ageing side. I am really proud about what they did and in the way they played,” he added.

    Fleming said the title was a recognition of the hard work that the squad has put in and hinted that there will be a few changes in the team next year. “There is emotion around, I think when you get to an end of a cycle, you are not going to get some players back, so there (was) some emotions around these last games. When you win it, it is celebration and also recognition of what players have put in,” he said.

    “Chennai always had a system or belief that you maintain players and keep them with you for a long period of time, you get the best out of them. There are some players that have been with us for a long time. It will be interesting to see over the next few months how it pans out but most teams are probably going to have a bit of change to them,” he added.

    The former New Zealand captain, who also won his fourth title with CSK as head coach, said the opening partnership between South African veteran Faf Du Plessis and the young Ruturaj Gaikwad was one of the reasons for the team’s success.

    He also lavished praise on Ruturaj, who emerged as the highest run-getter this season. “Yeah, I do (see him as the next star of Indian cricket). He (Ruturaj) is an absolute superstar already in my eyes. When we introduced him last year, people were little bit critical but we (had) such high expectations from him. We are really delighted that he finished off the season so well. He is a wonderful kid,” said Fleming about the Pune-based opener.

    “His craft this year, he mastered opening batting. With him and Faf (Du Plessis) to score that many runs, it’s one of the real reasons we won the IPL,” he concluded.

  • Can’t believe how time went by with amazing bunch: Delhi Capitals pacer Anrich Nortje

    By ANI

    DUBAI: Delhi Capitals pacer Anrich Nortje said he was “proud” to be a part of the set-up but expressed “disappointed” on not being able to clinch the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 trophy. Delhi Capitals’ IPL 2021 campaign ended with a hurtful defeat as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) got over the line courtesy Rahul Tripathi’s six off Ashwin in the final over.

    Nortje shared pictures from his IPL 2021 campaign and thanked fans who supported Delhi Capitals. “In sport and in life, things move so rapidly. Can’t believe how time went by with this amazing bunch. Proud of what we achieved and disappointed that we couldn’t get the trophy. Thank you to everyone involved, especially the fans for sticking with us,” Nortje tweeted.

    In sport and in life, things move so rapidly. Can’t believe how time went by with this amazing bunch. Proud of what we achieved and disappointed that we couldn’t get the trophy. Thank you to everyone involved, especially the fans for sticking with us pic.twitter.com/1mNG8viL5X
    — Anrich Nortje (@AnrichNortje02) October 14, 2021
    West Indies star batter Shimron Hetmyer thanked Delhi Capitals for giving him the opportunity to represent the side in the IPL 2021. “Thanks to @DelhiCapitals for supporting me and giving me the opportunity to represent you guys really enjoyed it,” Hetmyer tweeted.

    Thanks to @DelhiCapitals for supporting me and giving me the opportunity to represent you guys really enjoyed it … pic.twitter.com/Z26bjcMvQJ
    — Shimron Hetmyer (@SHetmyer) October 14, 2021
    After the defeat, Delhi Capitals (DC) head coach Ricky Ponting said he would like to retain each and every player of his team for the IPL 2022. “I would like to keep everyone, to be honest. We have got this terrific group of people at the Delhi Capitals. The playing staff and the coaches have done an amazing job for the last couple of seasons and I think our performances so to speak for themselves,” said Ponting during the post-match press conference.

    Ponting also said Delhi Capitals failed to utilise the powerplay and were eight to 10 runs short of the good first six overs score in the game.

  • When CSK needed MS Dhoni in Qualifier against Delhi Capitals, he stood up: Shane Watson

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson has said that Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper MS Dhoni knows how to get the best out of his players. CSK will square off against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL 2021 final later on Friday at the Dubai International Stadium.

    “MS Dhoni just knows how to continuously bring an environment together and get the best out of the players. That is why CSK has always had these different match-winners, it is not just about one or two players,” said Watson on the Super Kings show on Star Sports.

    “He just knows how to allow people to get out of their way and yes CSK has not been relying on MS to score the runs that he has done in the past but when the team needed him the most in the Qualifier, the great man just stood up like he has done in the past,” he added.

    The IPL 2021 has been played in two parts this season due to the COVID-19 pandemic and after a long wait, the final is here. The summit clash will see MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings clash with Eoin Morgan’s Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

    MS Dhoni-led CSK has won the IPL title thrice and after putting on a dismal show in the 2020 season in UAE, the side made a remarkable comeback this year and some fearless cricket from the franchise has seen Dhoni’s men reach the finals.

    Dhoni might have managed to score just 114 runs from 15 matches this season, but he rose like a phoenix when the team needed him most and his best knock came in Qualifier 1 against Delhi Capitals. He scored 18 runs from six balls, rolling back time, giving fans a perfect nostalgia trip as the Chennai franchise roared into the final. His innings even got Virat Kohli to label Dhoni as the “greatest finisher ever”.

    Squads:

    Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Faf du Plessis, Moeen Ali, Robin Uthappa, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Josh Hazlewood, Suresh Raina, Imran Tahir, Jason Behrendorff, Krishnappa Gowtham, Lungi Ngidi, Mitchell Santner, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Hari Nishanth, N Jagadeesan, KM Asif, Harishankar Reddy, Dominic Drakes, Bhagath Varma, Karn Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara.

    Kolkata Knight Riders: Shubman Gill, Venkatesh Iyer, Rahul Tripathi, Nitish Rana, Eoin Morgan (c), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Sunil Narine, Shakib Al Hasan, Lockie Ferguson, Shivam Mavi, Varun Chakaravarthy, Harbhajan Singh, Tim Southee, Andre Russell, Ben Cutting, Karun Nair, Pawan Negi, Kuldeep Yadav, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Sheldon Jackson, Sandeep Warrier, Tim Seifert, Prasidh Krishna, Rinku Singh, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Vaibhav Arora. (ANI)

  • IPL Final: KKR spinners hold aces as world awaits Dhoni ‘Magic’ one last time

    By PTI

    DUBAI: Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s astute captaincy in canary yellow will be Chennai Super Kings’ biggest weapon against a clinical Kolkata Knight Riders, whose troika of top-notch spinners promise to hold the aces in the high-octane Indian Premier League final here on Friday, October 15, 2021.

    If numbers are anything to go by, then CSK, in their astonishing ninth final appearance in 12 editions (they were suspended in two), are certain to start favourites against Kolkata Knight Riders on ‘Dussera’ day but in terms of trophies, there isn’t much of a difference.

    CSK has three titles with five final defeats while KKR has won both their finals under the mercurial Gautam Gambhir. No team has mastered the art of reaching finals like Dhoni’s CSK. But KKR will definitely be in the hunt since they won one of the most exciting high-scoring summit clash back in 2012 where they chased a target of 190 with two balls to spare.

    On Friday, CSK’s chances of winning a fourth title will depend on how well they handle the 12 overs from KKR’s spin trio of Varun Chakravarthy (economy rate 6.40), Shakib Al Hasan (ER:6.64) and Sunil Narine (ER:6.44), who have been outstanding in this tournament.

    In fact, Shakib’s all-round abilities have provided more balance to KKR during the business end once Andre Russell sustained a hamstring injury. However, the final match comes with its own set of pressures and how these three perform when put under the pump will be the key against a team of battle-hardened “been there done that” professionals.

    Dhoni’s captaincy mantra is simple — rely on experience as IPL is not a finishing school or place to groom youngsters however talented they may be. He groomed Ruturaj Gaikwad when the pressure of qualification was off his back in 2020 and the Pune lad has played freely.

    He has scored three half centuries and with his rise, Dhoni laid the groundwork for not just next year but many more to come fr his franchise. It shouldn’t surprise anyone if Gaikwad becomes the next CSK captain once Dhoni calls time on IPL, which could be next year or the year after that.

    No one knows the drifts and patterns of IPL more than India’s most revered white-ball captain. He understands that for IPL consistency, one needs experienced players primarily along with one or two talented youngsters.

    Therefore, the job that Suresh Raina used to do during his initial years, is now being done by the young Gaikwad, who has scored an astounding 600 plus runs in the tournament with a match to go. Hell or high water, CSK’s batting will revolve around Gaikwad, who if all goes well, will surely be one of the biggest all-format batting stars in the post Virat Kohli-Rohit Sharma era. There is abundant experience in the CSK ranks.

    The skipper himself is on the other side of 40 with Dwayne Bravo at 38, Faf du Plessis at 37, Ambati Rayudu (36) Robin Uthappa a few weeks short of his 36th birthday along with Moeen Ali (34) and Ravindra Jadeja (32).

    Add to it, three mid-level experienced internationals like Josh Hazlewood, Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur, who understand the pressure situations well and CSK seem immune to big match pressure Dhoni is a master at maneuvering resources.

    An example of it this IPL was his “right-hand man” and a true-blue IPL legend Raina being dropped.

    The former India player looked distinctly overweight and completely out of touch and the ruthless operator replaced him with Uthappa, who had a big role in winning the game against Delhi Capitals with that resounding start to the chase.

    The Knight Riders, on the other hand, also have a captain who has won a World Cup and has been at the heart of England team’s transformation as white ball captain. Many believe that Russell the batter should replace Morgan, who has had an awful IPL with the willow.

    Bur, it’s the leadership that has stood the test of time as he has marshalled his available resources well. He stuck with Shubman Gill as an opener and the youngster has had a decent run. The faith shown in Venkatesh Iyer will also benefit the Indian white-ball team while Narine the bowler found his mojo under him with constant support after remodelled action.

    Morgan is as quiet and as unexpressive as Dhoni even in testing times and it would be a contest of two ticking brains trying to gauge the next move in what promises to be a mouth-watering three-hour battle.

    Teams:

    Kolkata Knight Riders: Eoin Morgan (Captain), Dinesh Karthik, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Karun Nair, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathy, Shubman Gill, Harbhajan Singh, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Kuldeep Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Pawan Negi, M Prasidh Krishna, Sandeep Warrier, Shivam Dube, Tim Southee, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy, Andre Russel, Ben Cutting, Shakib Al Hasan, Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Sheldon Jackson, Tim Seifert.

    Chennai Super Kings: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, KM Asif, Deepak Chahar, Dwayne Bravo, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, N Jagadeesan, Karn Sharma, Lungi Ngidi, Mitchell Santner, Ravindra Jadeja, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shardul Thakur, R Sai Kishore, Moeen Ali, K Gowtham, Cheteshwar Pujara, Harishankar Reddy, Bhagath Varma, C Hari Nishaanth.

    (Match starts at 7:30 pm IST)

  • Virat Kohli will never be able to understand the kind of impact he has had: RCB’s AB de Villiers

    By PTI

    DUBAI: Virat Kohli will never be able to understand the kind of impact he has had on Royal Challengers Bangalore while leading the side, said AB de Villiers of his longstanding IPL teammate, in a rich tribute.

    Kohli’s nine-year stint as skipper of the RCB ended with a four-wicket defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders in the eliminator of the 2021 Indian Premier League at Sharjah on Monday. Kohli had said before the start of the UAE leg of the IPL that he would be stepping down as RCB captain at the end of the season.

    #RCBvKKR Dressing Room EmotionsA sudden end to a fine season campaign, Virat Kohli’s last match as full time captain of RCB, the team spirit that brought us until here, – raw emotions in the dressing room at the end of our #IPL2021 journey.https://t.co/UstexXNKIA#PlayBold
    — Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) October 12, 2021
    “I have been here through all the years with Virat as captain and I think the word that comes to mind is ‘grateful’. We were very lucky to have had you at the front,” de Villiers said in a video posted by the franchise.

    ALSO READ| Have given my best, says Kohli as he bids goodbye to RCB captaincy

    “The way you captained this team has inspired everyone, certainly inspired me to become better as a player and a person. You have had a much bigger impact than you will ever understand, it has gone miles. There are stories that you don’t even hear of people’s lives that you have touched,” he said.

    Since taking over as RCB’s captain in 2013, Kohli has led the team to the play-offs four times, including the last two seasons, and the final in 2016. Kohli led RCB in 140 matches, winning 66 and losing 70. Four games did not produce any results.

    De Villiers said that Kohli’s contribution goes beyond his performance as a skipper or a batter. “I have known you on the field but away from it as well. You make people believe in themselves, which is much more important than winning a trophy. Which I still believe will come your way,” the versatile South African cricketer said.

    ALSO READ| Virat​ Kohli has given RCB kind of profile, very few could give their franchise: Sunil Gavaskar

    During their eliminator against KKR, on-field umpire Virender Sharma came under fire from the RCB captain after a poor lbw decision during the Knight Riders innings. “You have done a great job, but that book is not finished yet. Whatever you have done for us, we won’t forget it. Thanks for all the memories, and I think some of the umpires will sleep a bit better, very happy for them,” de Villiers said on a lighter note, referring to that particular call by the umpire.

    Not the result we wanted but I am so proud of the character shown by the boys throughout the tournament. A disappointing end but we can hold our heads high. Thank you to all the fans, management & the support staff for your constant support. @RCBTweets pic.twitter.com/VxZLc5NKAG
    — Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) October 12, 2021
    On his part, Kohli thanked his teammates and said they can “hold their heads high”. “Not the result we wanted but I am so proud of the character shown by the boys throughout the tournament. A disappointing end but we can hold our heads high. Thank you to all the fans, management & the support staff for your constant support,” Kohli wrote on his Twitter handle.