The Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) had faced yet another departure after the playoffs of an IPL season. Their hopes crashed when they lost the must-win game against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Jaipur. At one stage, with AB de Villiers at the crease, they were cruising towards the target, but their middle order crumbled like dominos and ended up surrendering in the game. After RCB’s exit, De Villiers reflected back at how the tournament went for his side.
As per the quotes in Times of India, the South African wrote, “We can have no complaints. It is frustrating to know we would have qualified if we had defeated Rajasthan Royals on Saturday, and at one stage we seemed to be on course for a successful chase, but their spinners halted our march and, in a few hectic overs, our dreams evaporated like the morning mist.”
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He further added, “So it’s all doom and gloom in Bengaluru? No, not at all. We are extremely disappointed to have won only six of our 14 matches, but it is often said that sports teams must lose together before they can win together, and I do believe that, amid our underperformance in 2018, we have laid a solid foundation for 2019.”
Commenting further on the RCB’s performances and the team’s atmosphere, the veteran cricketer, who is also termed as Mr. 360, remarked that he feels blessed to be a part of the IPL ever since its inception. He also went on to quote that the 2018 edition was the best till date for the fact that it brought a lot of learning curves for the team.
“Pointing out the learning from IPL 2018, ABD said, “I have been fortunate to participate in every IPL since the tournament started in 2008 and, in many respects, for me, the 2018 event has been the most enjoyable. The spirit within the RCB squad has been outstanding. In the good moments, and also the difficult moments, players, coaches and staff have stuck together and backed each other, and we have developed a collective will that augurs well for next season.”
Picking up a final winner for the IPL 2018 season, AB de Villiers reckons that the finals will be played between the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). And in the finals, he feels that the MS Dhoni-led team will spin the magic in the favor of his side yet again. For now, CSK and SRH will face off in the Qualifier 1 of the season on Tuesday.
