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Tag: Royal Challengers Bangalore

  • From being a nets bowler to making an impact for RCB, Akash Deep’s journey into the big league

    By IANS

    PUNE: Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) pace bowler Akash Deep was so enamoured with the franchise since his childhood days that he always dreamt of playing for them during his growing years. And when the opportunity finally came his way, the 25-year-old knew that he had to gain as much experience as possible despite the limited exposure and make an impact.

    He started out as an intern, bowling at the RCB nets during IPL 2021. But cut to 2022, the young pacer has shown he has plenty in the kitty to hang around with the big boys on the big stage.

    Growing from strength to strength in the last four games of the 2022 season, Akash was instrumental in restricting Mumbai Indians to 151/6 at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium on April 9, helping his side win the crunch contest by seven wickets.

    Not only did he bowl one of the most economical spells on that day — Akash conceded just 20 runs in his four overs, which also included a maiden — but also took the prized wicket of Ishan Kishan when the MI opener looked well set on 26.

    Speaking about his experiences with the Bengaluru franchise, who bought him back during the Mega Auction this year, Akash said, “I have liked RCB since my childhood and ever since I’ve known cricket. I used to like RCB a lot because of Virat sir (Virat Kohli) and AB sir (AB de Villiers). I would never miss out on an RCB game even if I missed any other game. I would not watch any other team’s games, but I would watch this team’s right from my childhood. So, even joining up with this team for me was a big deal.”

    “During the first 2-3 months after joining up with RCB, I got to learn a lot. When I went back home from here, I realised that the confidence I had gained through this experience helped me a lot in domestic cricket,” he added.

    Playing for Bengal at the domestic level, Akash has superb first-class figures of 45 wickets in 11 matches, with an economy rate of 3.16.

    However, things didn’t go smoothly for the bowler during the 2021 season as he had to leave the RCB nets mid-season.

    “Whenever I come to this ground (Bandra Kurla Complex), it reminds me of the experience. When I was at practice, I got a call from home that my elder aunt was in quite a serious condition, as were my sister-in-law and my mother. They were at the hospital and my mother was home. I went back to the hotel and was hoping to hear that the situation had gotten better. I kept delaying going back for 4-5 days.

    “But after five days, I got the news that my elder aunt had passed away, and then my sister-in-law did too. My mother was in quite a critical condition too. I felt that I had to go back because family is very important, and the situation was also very tough,” said the Bengal pacer.

    “After going home, I took care of my mother’s medicines, getting her injections. The hospital at our place did not have anything — there were no doctors, no medicines. But, going back helped because even the RCB management had spoken to the people back home, to help arrange for oxygen cylinders; I administered the injections myself. Thankfully, my mother is alright now,” he told RCB Bold Diaries.

    Things took a positive turn for Akash, who was drafted into the squad for the second half of the 2021 season in place of the injured Washington Sundar. There has been no looking back since then as he was bought back by RCB in the 2022 auction, and has played every game of the IPL 2022 season thus far.

  • Royal Challengers Bangalore march on as Mumbai Indians lose four on trot

    By PTI

    PUNE: Mumbai Indians’ season of woes just got a tad worse after the five-time champions followed another high-profile team Chennai Super Kings to lose their fourth match on the bounce as Royal Challengers Bangalore cantered to an easy seven-wicket win in an IPL match on Saturday.

    It was Suryakumar Yadav’s unbeaten 68 that gave Mumbai Indians a respectable total of 151 for 6 but that was never going to be enough as young Anuj Rawat (66 off 47 balls) struck his maiden IPL fifty, anchoring the team to the target in just 18.3 overs.

    He had two fifty plus partnerships — 50 for opening stand with skipper Faf du Plessis (16) and 80 with former skipper and his West Delhi Cricket Academy senior Virat Kohli (48 off 36 balls) for the second wicket to seal the issue.

    Rawat scored at a decent strike-rate if not rollicking one and had two fours and six maximums in his kitty.

    Mumbai Indians are currently last in the table of 10 teams because of inferior net run-rate compared to CSK but the road towards redemption is becoming difficult with every passing match.

    Whether it is skipper Rohit’s lean patch or a poor sentimental call by the MI management to retain a non-performing asset like Kieron Pollard for one season too many, there are too many loopholes that needs plugging.

    The next set of young batters are getting ready but the current attack with Murugan Ashwin, Basil Thampi and Jaydev Unadkat bowling at least 12 out of 20 overs, doesn’t give the confidence that it can actually become a side in contention for a silverware.

    If MI is in a mess, it is because of the decisions taken before and during the auction.

    Retaining Pollard and letting all-rounder Hardik Pandya go is coming back to haunt them.

    So is the decision to not bid aggressively for the likes of Krunal Pandya or Trent Boult or for that matter Rahul Chahar.

    Earlier, Rohit and Ishan Kishan’s flamboyant start was followed by an inexplicable batting collapse before the indomitable Suryakumar gave MI’s total semblance of respectability.

    For RCB, Harshal Patel (2/23 in 4 overs) was brilliant with his variations as most of the MI batters had no idea about his slower deliveries, which were primarily off-cutters with occasional loopy block-hole balls that drifted.

    MI were 50 for no loss after Powerplay but in the next four overs lost as many as five wickets to become 62 for five and subsequently 79 for six before Suryakumar (5×4, 6×6) with his 15th IPL fifty, took them to a decent total.

    Suryakumar took charge with MI tottering at 79 for 6 and added 72 off 41 balls with Jaydev Unadkat (13 no off 14 balls).

    For Rohit (26 off 15 balls), this IPL so far has been about playing some breathtaking shots but not getting a big score as he raced to 26 before Harshal’s slow off-cutter did the trick.

    The Indian skipper after having hit four fours and a pulled six couldn’t check his stroke with the bowler taking a smart return catch.

    Playing the second fiddle, Kishan’s (26 off 28 balls) attempt to use the pace of Bengal speedster Akash Deep in his bid to play the ramp shot became his undoing as he was caught in the third man region.

    Dewald Brevis (8 off 11 balls) found it difficult to negotiate the wrist spin of Wanindu Hasaranga (2/28 in 4 overs) and was rapped on the back-pad.

    Tilak Verma had his first real failure due to miscommunication with Pollard which resulted in a run-out and the big West Indian then got fooled by a Hasaranga googly.

    Rookie Ramandeep Singh then dangled his bat at a wide slower from Harshal to end his 12-ball stay.

    Harshal cleverly changed his arm speed regularly which deceived the batters as the balls started drifting.

    A slog swept six over deep mid-wicket off Hasaranga and a near 100-metre slog flick off Mohammed Siraj (4-0-51-0) were absolute treat for the eyes as Suryakumar followed it up with a ramped six as 23 came off the penultimate over.

  • Royal Challengers Bangalore march on as Mumbai Indians lose four on trot

    By PTI

    PUNE: Mumbai Indians’ season of woes just got a tad worse after the five-time champions followed another high-profile team Chennai Super Kings to lose their fourth match on the bounce as Royal Challengers Bangalore cantered to an easy seven-wicket win in an IPL match on Saturday.

    It was Suryakumar Yadav’s unbeaten 68 that gave Mumbai Indians a respectable total of 151 for 6 but that was never going to be enough as young Anuj Rawat (66 off 47 balls) struck his maiden IPL fifty, anchoring the team to the target in just 18.3 overs.

    He had two fifty plus partnerships — 50 for opening stand with skipper Faf du Plessis (16) and 80 with former skipper and his West Delhi Cricket Academy senior Virat Kohli (48 off 36 balls) for the second wicket to seal the issue.

    Rawat scored at a decent strike-rate if not rollicking one and had two fours and six maximums in his kitty.

    Mumbai Indians are currently last in the table of 10 teams because of inferior net run-rate compared to CSK but the road towards redemption is becoming difficult with every passing match.

    Whether it is skipper Rohit’s lean patch or a poor sentimental call by the MI management to retain a non-performing asset like Kieron Pollard for one season too many, there are too many loopholes that needs plugging.

    The next set of young batters are getting ready but the current attack with Murugan Ashwin, Basil Thampi and Jaydev Unadkat bowling at least 12 out of 20 overs, doesn’t give the confidence that it can actually become a side in contention for a silverware.

    If MI is in a mess, it is because of the decisions taken before and during the auction.

    Retaining Pollard and letting all-rounder Hardik Pandya go is coming back to haunt them.

    So is the decision to not bid aggressively for the likes of Krunal Pandya or Trent Boult or for that matter Rahul Chahar.

    Earlier, Rohit and Ishan Kishan’s flamboyant start was followed by an inexplicable batting collapse before the indomitable Suryakumar gave MI’s total semblance of respectability.

    For RCB, Harshal Patel (2/23 in 4 overs) was brilliant with his variations as most of the MI batters had no idea about his slower deliveries, which were primarily off-cutters with occasional loopy block-hole balls that drifted.

    MI were 50 for no loss after Powerplay but in the next four overs lost as many as five wickets to become 62 for five and subsequently 79 for six before Suryakumar (5×4, 6×6) with his 15th IPL fifty, took them to a decent total.

    Suryakumar took charge with MI tottering at 79 for 6 and added 72 off 41 balls with Jaydev Unadkat (13 no off 14 balls).

    For Rohit (26 off 15 balls), this IPL so far has been about playing some breathtaking shots but not getting a big score as he raced to 26 before Harshal’s slow off-cutter did the trick.

    The Indian skipper after having hit four fours and a pulled six couldn’t check his stroke with the bowler taking a smart return catch.

    Playing the second fiddle, Kishan’s (26 off 28 balls) attempt to use the pace of Bengal speedster Akash Deep in his bid to play the ramp shot became his undoing as he was caught in the third man region.

    Dewald Brevis (8 off 11 balls) found it difficult to negotiate the wrist spin of Wanindu Hasaranga (2/28 in 4 overs) and was rapped on the back-pad.

    Tilak Verma had his first real failure due to miscommunication with Pollard which resulted in a run-out and the big West Indian then got fooled by a Hasaranga googly.

    Rookie Ramandeep Singh then dangled his bat at a wide slower from Harshal to end his 12-ball stay.

    Harshal cleverly changed his arm speed regularly which deceived the batters as the balls started drifting.

    A slog swept six over deep mid-wicket off Hasaranga and a near 100-metre slog flick off Mohammed Siraj (4-0-51-0) were absolute treat for the eyes as Suryakumar followed it up with a ramped six as 23 came off the penultimate over.

    PUNE: Mumbai Indians’ season of woes just got a tad worse after the five-time champions followed another high-profile team Chennai Super Kings to lose their fourth match on the bounce as Royal Challengers Bangalore cantered to an easy seven-wicket win in an IPL match on Saturday.

    It was Suryakumar Yadav’s unbeaten 68 that gave Mumbai Indians a respectable total of 151 for 6 but that was never going to be enough as young Anuj Rawat (66 off 47 balls) struck his maiden IPL fifty, anchoring the team to the target in just 18.3 overs.

    He had two fifty plus partnerships — 50 for opening stand with skipper Faf du Plessis (16) and 80 with former skipper and his West Delhi Cricket Academy senior Virat Kohli (48 off 36 balls) for the second wicket to seal the issue.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Rawat scored at a decent strike-rate if not rollicking one and had two fours and six maximums in his kitty.

    Mumbai Indians are currently last in the table of 10 teams because of inferior net run-rate compared to CSK but the road towards redemption is becoming difficult with every passing match.

    Whether it is skipper Rohit’s lean patch or a poor sentimental call by the MI management to retain a non-performing asset like Kieron Pollard for one season too many, there are too many loopholes that needs plugging.

    The next set of young batters are getting ready but the current attack with Murugan Ashwin, Basil Thampi and Jaydev Unadkat bowling at least 12 out of 20 overs, doesn’t give the confidence that it can actually become a side in contention for a silverware.

    If MI is in a mess, it is because of the decisions taken before and during the auction.

    Retaining Pollard and letting all-rounder Hardik Pandya go is coming back to haunt them.

    So is the decision to not bid aggressively for the likes of Krunal Pandya or Trent Boult or for that matter Rahul Chahar.

    Earlier, Rohit and Ishan Kishan’s flamboyant start was followed by an inexplicable batting collapse before the indomitable Suryakumar gave MI’s total semblance of respectability.

    For RCB, Harshal Patel (2/23 in 4 overs) was brilliant with his variations as most of the MI batters had no idea about his slower deliveries, which were primarily off-cutters with occasional loopy block-hole balls that drifted.

    MI were 50 for no loss after Powerplay but in the next four overs lost as many as five wickets to become 62 for five and subsequently 79 for six before Suryakumar (5×4, 6×6) with his 15th IPL fifty, took them to a decent total.

    Suryakumar took charge with MI tottering at 79 for 6 and added 72 off 41 balls with Jaydev Unadkat (13 no off 14 balls).

    For Rohit (26 off 15 balls), this IPL so far has been about playing some breathtaking shots but not getting a big score as he raced to 26 before Harshal’s slow off-cutter did the trick.

    The Indian skipper after having hit four fours and a pulled six couldn’t check his stroke with the bowler taking a smart return catch.

    Playing the second fiddle, Kishan’s (26 off 28 balls) attempt to use the pace of Bengal speedster Akash Deep in his bid to play the ramp shot became his undoing as he was caught in the third man region.

    Dewald Brevis (8 off 11 balls) found it difficult to negotiate the wrist spin of Wanindu Hasaranga (2/28 in 4 overs) and was rapped on the back-pad.

    Tilak Verma had his first real failure due to miscommunication with Pollard which resulted in a run-out and the big West Indian then got fooled by a Hasaranga googly.

    Rookie Ramandeep Singh then dangled his bat at a wide slower from Harshal to end his 12-ball stay.

    Harshal cleverly changed his arm speed regularly which deceived the batters as the balls started drifting.

    A slog swept six over deep mid-wicket off Hasaranga and a near 100-metre slog flick off Mohammed Siraj (4-0-51-0) were absolute treat for the eyes as Suryakumar followed it up with a ramped six as 23 came off the penultimate over.

  • Dinesh Karthik stars in RCB’s come from behind win over Rajasthan Royals

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: A sensational display of hitting from Dinesh Karthik and Shahbaz Ahmed helped RCB recover from a mini batting collapse and record a four-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League here on Tuesday.

    Jos Buttler hammered half a dozen sixes in his unbeaten 70 off 47 balls as Rajasthan Royals grafted their way to 169 for three after RCB opted to bowl.

    Losing four wickets in a space off 11 balls, RCB were in all sorts of trouble at 62 for four before Karthik (44 not out off 23 balls) and Ahmed (45 off 26) took the game away from the opposition with a 67-run partnership off just 33 balls.

    Karthik eventually got the team home in 19.1 overs.

    It was RCB’s second win in three games while it was the first loss of the season for the Royals after consecutive victories.

    At 55 for no loss in the seventh over, RCB were on course in the run chase before the game turned on its head with the Royals taking a flurry of wickets.

    The wily Yuzvendra Chahal (2/15), playing against a team he played for seven seasons, was largely responsible for the RCB collapse.

    He forced an error from Faf du Plessis (29), who mistimed a leg break to be caught at long-on, before cleaning up left-hander David Willey (0) with a classical leg-break.

    Chahal also effected the run out of Virat Kohli (5) after a brilliant take and throw from Royals skipper Sanju Samson.

    Trent Boult then getting rid of Sherfane Rutherford made it 87 for five, leaving RCB in a lot of trouble.

    That was when Karthik, who has shown stellar form this season, came into the middle and brought back RCB into the contest with some sensational strokes including a reverse sweep off Ravichandran Ashwin whose fourth over went for 21 runs.

    Karthik did the bulk of the damage batting alongside Ahmed as they brought up their 50-run stand off just 21 balls.

    Earlier, Buttler, fresh off a hundred in the previous game, had to work hard in his 47-ball knock on a slow Wankhede pitch.

    He had the support of Shimron Hetmyer (42 not out off 31) at the other end as the duo shared an unbeaten 83-run stand off 51 balls.

    Royals did not have the best of times in Powerplay, reaching 35 with the loss of opener Yashasvi Jaiswal (4).

    Buttler and Devdutt Padikkal (37 off 29) started playing their strokes after the Powerplay and shared a 70-run stand to give the innings a move on.

    RCB fielding also helped the Royals as they dropped Buttler twice in the same over bowled by Akash Deep.

    Adding insult to injury, Buttler smashed Akash Deep over long off for a six in the same over.

    After his former RCB teammamte Harshal Patel sent Padikkal back to the dressing room, Samson (8) fell to a soft dismissal off Wanindu Hasaranga.

    It seemed the ball stopped on Samson who offered a sitter straight back to Hasaranga, leaving the Royals at 86 for three in the 12th over.

    In the slog overs, Royals found it tough to get the big hits with RCB bowlers using the conditions effectively.

    Buttler took a step back and let the hard-hitting Hetmyer go for the boundaries.

    However, the English wicketkeeper was back to his fluent best, hitting Mohammad Siraj for successive sixes in the 19th over to get to his half-century.

    Akash Deep ruined his figures in the 20th over when he was at the receiving end for a tight no ball call before Buttler hammered him for couple of maximums over long on.

    Hetmyer finished the innings in style with a six over deep square leg as the final over yielded 23 runs.

    Buttler did not hit a single four in his unbeaten effort.

  • Bowling simulation: RCB’s Mike Hesson’s new game plan to deal with match pressure

    By IANS

    MUMBAI: Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) director of cricket operations, Mike Hesson has credited his team’s win against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL on March 30 to something he calls ‘bowling simulation’.

    RCB had defeated KKR by three wickets, chasing down the 128-run target with four balls to spare at the DY Patil Stadium.

    The team had undergone an exercise called ‘bowling simulation’ to help plan and execute with clarity under pressure. New RCB skipper Faf du Plessis explained it by saying that, the purpose of the exercise was to “work on two basic things. One is the field setting, and one is the different options you will bowl with that field setting”.

    RCB made a turnaround with the ball after the disappointment of the first game against Punjab Kings. One of the key aspects the team management identified as an area of improvement was the ability to execute plans under pressure. They managed to restrict KKR to a below-par score and then successfully chased down the target.

    “When the game is on the line, whether we are batting or bowling, it’s about how we deal with the game under pressure — the last 5 overs. So, a lot of what we did (was) all of the bowlers sitting with the captain, going through the fieldsets in terms of different options.

    “Obviously, no matter what option you have, what field you have, you have to have at least three options in terms of deliveries you can bowl. And then when you’re under pressure, how are you going to get out of that — whether you’re gonna split the over up, maybe change the field?” Hesson said on RCB Bold Diaries.

    One of the positives for RCB against KKR was the emergence of Akash Deep as a wicket-taking option.

    Speaking about the exercise, the Bengal and RCB pacer said, “The best thing is we got to bowl in open nets, and it was fun. We were given a plan to bowl to. It was made clear that we have to bowl to that plan, irrespective of whether we concede runs or not. It was fun because I had to bowl to a plan and a field that was given. I could execute a few balls well, and some not so much. But I was told not to think about whether or not runs are being conceded, but our job is to bowl to a plan and if we are conceding runs, it’s not an issue.”

    Akash added the exercise gave the players a lot of confidence.

    “We get plenty of confidence… whether or not it goes well, it gives you confidence. It felt quite good,” said Akash, who picked up three wickets against KKR.

  • Did Royal Challengers Bangalore get their picks wrong again at the IPL auction?

    Express News Service

    BENGALURU: One look at the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) squad after the IPL mega auction and it is a case of old wine in a new bottle. Problems are plenty.

    The auction was an opportunity for the team to make the changes that were needed and break their title jinx, but Bangalore failed to pick quality Indian players. This has left them lacking in depth on the batting front, which could hurt them if they manage to qualify for the end stages of upcoming IPLs.

    Among the top six costliest players at the auction, five were Indians. And while Bangalore did avail the services of Harshal Patel (Rs 10.75 crore) and Dinesh Karthik (Rs 5.50 crore), the rest of the Indian players they invested in, including Mahipal Lomror and Shahbaz Ahmed, will not instill fear amongst their opponents.

    They also allowed themselves to get outbidded by other teams having bigger purses. How did that happen?

    One reason could be their splurging on Sri Lanka spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, for whom they paid Rs 10.75 crore at a time when when Yuzvendra Chahal, who has been a fine servant for Bangalore in the past, had not come up for auction. The latter was snapped up by Rajasthan Royals for Rs 6.5 crore.

    ALSO READ | IPL 2022: Complex auction dynamics in display on day one

    And despite RCB being in need of an explosive opener and a possible captain, they did not even make a bid for David Warner, who went to Delhi Capitals for a relatively modest Rs 6.25 crore. They might have made that call as they had already signed Faf Du Plessis, who could lead the team next season. However, the team management have not finalised their captain yet.

    “We have three great leaders in Maxwell, Virat, and Faf du Plessis. We are happy with those three leaders, also have Josh Hazlewood as a leader from the bowling point of view. So we are happy with the group, we will make a decision regarding captaincy after the auction,” Mike Hesson, Director of Cricket Operations, RCB, had said .

    Irrespective of who leads the team, the captain has a huge task ahead with the franchise not able to fill the gaping hole left by the departure of their stalwart AB de Villiers. It also means, their big players, including Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell (both retained) and new man Du Plesis will be under sheer pressure to deliver.

    From the present squad, it seems incredibly difficult to find a decent better at No 3 and 6. The team lacks a solid finisher at six or seven as well. This was one of the problem areas last season. They might have to depend on the 36-year-old Karthik to bring his A game week in and week out and shoulder responsibility with cameos. It will be interesting to see if David Willey will be given the role of assisting Karthik.

    If the franchise has anything to be happy about, it is the look of their pacers department. With Mohammed Siraj already retained, and the likes of Patel, Willey, Josh Hazlewood, Jason Behrendorff and Siddharth Kaul around, there is quality and firepower in plenty.

    While they have pacers for all kinds of surfaces, they come up short in the spin department. Barring leg-spinner Hasaranga, they do not have much quality there and this too can create create problems when it comes to fielding the right combinations.

  • IPL retentions: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni retained, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya released

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Royal Challengers Bangalore on Tuesday retained their former captain Virat Kohli while Mumbai Indians predictably retained India’s T20 captain Rohit Sharma and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah ahead of the IPL mega auction.

    India’s greatest white-ball skipper and Chennai Super Kings talisman Mahendra Singh Dhoni is his team’s second retention behind all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja while Ruturaj Gaikwad is the fourth name in the list.

    Moeen Ali has also been retained by CSK.

    The major names to be released are out-of-form all-rounder Hardik Pandya and dashing keeper batter Ishan Kishan, who have been a part of Mumbai Indians core while leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and Purple Cap winner Harshal Patel have been released by RCB.

    Punjab Kings released their last year’s skipper KL Rahul, while SRH retained Kane Williamson and released star spinner Rashid Khan.

  • 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.

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

    By PTI

    DUBAI:The legendary Sunil Gavaskar says Virat Kohli has given Royal Challengers Bangalore that kind of a profile which only a few cricketers can manage for their respective franchises despite not winning an IPL trophy.

    Kohli’s dreams of winning an IPL title with RCB ended in a heartbreak after Kolkata Knight Riders beat them by four wickets in the eliminator on Monday. Gavaskar said not all scripts are written in the manner players want them to.

    Kohli had announced that he would step down as RCB skipper after the end of the 14th edition of the lucrative league. “He has given RCB that kind of profile, that brand recognition that very (few) cricketers have given to their franchise,” Gavaskar told Star Sports.

    The former India captain compared Kohli’s last match as RCB skipper with Donald Bradman and Sachin Tendulkar farewells.

    “Everybody wants to finish on a high. But these things never always happen according to your or fans’ wishes. Look at what happened to Sir Don Bradman. Just four runs were needed in his last innings and he gets out for a zero.

    “Sachin Tendulkar would have wanted to finish with a hundred, he got 79 (Tendulkar scored 74) in Mumbai, his 200th Test match. 79 is not bad but somebody who is used to making hundreds would have wanted to get those extra 21 runs and then end his Test career there,” Gavaskar added.

    Sharing his thoughts on Kohli’s failure to lift an IPL trophy, Gavaskar said Kohli had an ever-lasting impact on the team and mentioned the 2016 season when he amassed close to 1000 runs in a single edition.

    “The script is not always written that way. Not everybody has this great fortune of going on a high. But can one ever dispute what he has done for RCB? He has done magnificently. There was one year when he got 973 runs, 27 runs short of 1000 runs. Nobody has done it, nobody looks like ever getting to 1000 runs,” he added.

    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.

  • Virat Kohli is a leader, will celebrate his contributions: RCB pacer Harshal Patel

    By PTI

    SHARJAH: Virat Kohli’s tenure as captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore may have ended without an IPL triumph but the franchise will nonetheless “celebrate” his contributions over the years, said the team’s pacer Harshal Patel.

    Harshal though did not specify how exactly the team plans to celebrate Kohli’s contributions. He stressed that Kohli, who has decided to step down as India T20 captain after the upcoming World Cup and RCB skipper post the ongoing IPL, remains a “leader”.

    “In terms of his captaincy, there are captains and there are leaders, he is definitely a leader. Just because he won’t have the captaincy tag, it doesn’t make him any less of a leader,” Harshal said after RCB’s defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders in the eliminator on Monday.

    “So, I just want to thank him for whatever he has contributed for this team and to my growth,” he said, adding the skipper always supported him whenever he was “down”.

    He also said that the team would “celebrate” the contributions of Kohli as a skipper. “Yeah, I think, absolutely we are going to celebrate his contributions and it would have been nicer to celebrate that with the trophy in our hand, but it was not meant to be. But his contributions, like I said, have been immense and we are definitely going to celebrate that,” he added.

    Harshal conceded that the entire outfit was disappointed on how it finished the Indian Premier League season. “Obviously, we are all disappointed in the way we finished the tournament. The way we were playing, I think we should have been in (the) top two. But as we all know, it is a game of small margins,” Harshal said at the post-match press conference.

    Sunil Narine gave glimpses of his ‘old mystery’ with the ball and then topped it up with three monster sixes as Kolkata Knight Riders’ four-wicket victory in an exciting eliminator dashed Kohli’s dream of winning an IPL trophy while leading RCB.

    “In hindsight you could have done a lot of things differently, but at the end of the day, we all know that once (the) top four teams are qualified, they are all on the same line. So, at the end of the day, who plays better on that particular day matters, but obviously we all are very disappointed in the way we finished but we are also proud of the way we played cricket in the league stage,” the Haryana pacer added.

    Harshal is the leading wicket-taker in this IPL edition, with 32 wickets from 15 games, including best figures of 5/27. The right-arm speedster, who also took his first hat-trick in any competitive game in this UAE leg of the IPL, was pleased with his performance.

    “I am very happy with what I have been able to achieve and very happy with how I contributed to the (team’s) wins. Records are something that I don’t really look at, but in the context of the game, it would have been nice if he (Devdutt Padikkal) had taken the catch, we could have gone a little, even a little closer. So, in terms of the game, that was probably an important wicket, but in terms of records, it doesn’t really matter much to me,” added Harshal, who also equalled Dwanye Bravo’s record for most wickets in an IPL season.

    Coming back to Kohli, he said the captain always backed him.

    “Like I said earlier many times, the RCB management and Virat showed a lot of confidence from the start, even though I hadn’t bowled in the death overs in the IPL, which I did for Haryana. So, suddenly to give me that responsibility, they would have definitely seen something in me and they made that decision that I will be bowling the most difficult overs. So, I am very grateful for the faith that they have shown in me,” he added.

    He said that Kohli always backs his bowlers. “Everyone knows Virat, the kind of energy and passion he brings to the field. Everyone knows that he backs the bowlers and gives them space, allows them to execute their skills, plans. I have learned a lot playing with him since 2012,” he added.