Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) legend AB de Villiers slammed the commentators for their criticism of his former side during the IPL 2025 clash against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Tuesday, May 27. De Villiers’ remarks were directed at those criticizing RCB’s bowlers during LSG’s batting innings without looking at the pitch on offer.
LSG, led by their skipper Rishabh Pant’s breathtaking 118* off 61 deliveries, posted a mammoth 227/3 in 20 overs. However, RCB responded in style by completing the run chase in only 18.4 overs with six wickets to spare. It was also RCB’s highest-ever successful run chase in franchise history.
Talking about the game on his YouTube channel, De Villiers said (via India Today):
“I listened to the commentators last night, and honestly, it got me so angry. 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.”
He continued:
“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?”
The win helped RCB finish second on the points table, earning them two chances at qualifying for the final.
“Rishabh Pant is not going to score 118 off 60-odd balls on a tricky, very difficult pitch” – AB de Villiers
AB de Villiers continued slamming the commentators, pointing to Rishabh Pant’s century as further evidence that the pitch was a belter for batting. The LSG skipper had scored only a lone half-century entering the RCB clash but looked in sublime touch from the word go.
“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,” said De Villiers (via aforementioned source).
RCB finished in the top two for the first time since IPL 2016 when De Villiers and Virat Kohli starred with the bat. They will take on the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Qualifier 1 at Mullanpur on Thursday, May 29.
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Edited by Venkatesh Ravichandran
