AB de Villiers has voiced his frustration on what he described as overly negative commentary during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s recent match against Lucknow Super Giants. Speaking on his show ABD 360, the former South African batter and RCB stalwart criticised the way commentators focused heavily on the shortcomings of Bengaluru’s bowlers, without acknowledging that the match was played on an exceptionally batting-friendly pitch.
During the game, RCB gave away 227 runs, a total that drew repeated remarks from commentators about their bowling being under pressure. However, AB de Villiers pointed out that such criticism ignored key factors, especially the quality of the pitch. He argued that if the surface had truly been challenging, a player like Rishabh Pant wouldn’t have been able to score a remarkable 118 off just 61 balls.
AB de Villiers said that he found the constant focus on RCB’s perceived bowling issues both frustrating and unfair. He urged commentators to look beyond narratives and take into account the actual conditions on the field. He emphasised that the Bengaluru’s bowlers were judged too harshly and that the analysis lacked depth, reducing the situation to a familiar and simplistic storyline about the team’s historical struggles in the IPL.
Despite the high total conceded, Bengaluru pulled off a thrilling win thanks to some standout performances in their chase. Stand-in captain Jitesh Sharma delivered an unbeaten 85, leading the team to victory alongside Mayank Agarwal who added 41 runs. Earlier, Virat Kohli had set the pace with a quickfire 54 off 30 balls and Phil Salt chipped in with 30 runs off 19 deliveries. The team successfully chased down the target of 228, finishing at 230 for 4 in the second-last over.
The win was crucial for RCB, as it secured them a spot in Qualifier 1 for the first time in nine years. They finished second on the points table with 19 points, tied with Punjab Kings but behind on net run rate. Bengaluru will now face Punjab in the upcoming Qualifier 1 at Mullanpur on Thursday, carrying the momentum from their high-pressure win into the knockout stages.
