Former skipper of South Africa, AB de Villiers criticised some commentators for having a negative view of RCB’s bowlers during RCB’s match with LSG during their IPL 2025 clash on Tuesday, May 27. De Villiers pointed out that the commentators should not have laughed at RCB’s bowling and instead they should have recognised the pitch at the Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Statdium as difficult for both the teams.
AB de Villiers’ Statement
“I listened to the commentators last night, and honestly, it got me so angry,” said de Villiers. “They were so negative when we were bowling. They kept saying, ‘RCB’s bowling is under pressure. They don’t look like they’re going to manage it. Once again, an in-form team is starting to lose momentum.’ But what about this-maybe it was just a really good batting wicket, guys? To all you very clever and sharp commentators out there, how about considering the possibility that it was an excellent surface for batting?”
“They went on about how RCB’s bowling unit was once again in poor form. As I watched the match, I thought: sometimes commentators get fixated on a narrative. Yes, RCB have never won a title, but it’s lazy to keep saying, ‘Here we go again. The bowlers are failing, they’re useless,’ without properly analysing what’s happening on the field. Rishabh Pant is not going to score 118 off 60-odd balls on a tricky, very difficult pitch. All the LSG batters were fluent out there.
“Yes, there was some poor bowling at times. But ultimately, one must look at the bigger picture-227 runs on a wicket that typically doesn’t support such batting suggests it was simply a very good surface. RCB were still in the contest; they weren’t blown away, and they proved that,” he added.
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Match Highlights Of RCB Vs LSG
RCB scored 228 to win the chase against LSG and finished in the top two in the IPL season. It was Jitesh Sharma’s 85 not out from just 33 deliveries that made him stand out, as his amazing knock overshadowed Rishabh Pant’s brilliant hundred for LSG. His 118 runs from 61 balls helped LSG achieve their highest ever score in the IPL. Jitesh’s strong showing made it possible for RCB to enter Qualifier 1. Virat Kohli scored a half-century and broke three new records during the game.
