Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers slammed a few commentators, criticising them for making negative remarks about RCB’s bowling attack during their IPL 2025 match against LSG on Tuesday, 27 May. He also said that the commentators failed to analyse the nature of the pitch at the Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Stadium and instead criticised RCB’s bowling group as well.
Speaking on his weekly show, ABD 360, de Villiers said, “I listened to the commentators last night, and honestly, it got me so angry. 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,” he shared.
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“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 further added.
However, RCB’s bowling has let them down at important moments in the past as well. They missed the presence of Josh Hazlewood on Tuesday, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yash Dayal proved expensive too. Meanwhile, de Villiers also expressed his happiness at RCB’s performances in IPL 2025.
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“What excites me most this season is that multiple players are stepping up-not just one or two. It’s not just the usual Virat Kohli or, back in the day, a Chris Gayle. Now, we see the whole squad responding under pressure,” said AB de Villiers. “We saw Krunal Pandya play a phenomenal knock, I think, in the game against Delhi. Josh Hazlewood did his job when called upon. Everyone who has joined the team seems to have found a way to contribute. That, to me, is the hallmark of a successful and healthy squad.”
“Take Mayank Agarwal, for instance-he only recently joined the side but made a match-winning contribution. That shows he felt comfortable within the team culture and environment,” AB de Villiers concluded.
RCB are set to take on table-toppers Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1 of IPL 2025 in New Chandigarh on Thursday, 29 May.
