Brad Hogg, a former Australian spinner, believes the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) should not invest long-term in their veteran batter AB de Villiers.
Instead, Brad Hogg proposed that the franchise could release him ahead of next year’s mega-auction and then get him back on board at a bargain price. The 50-year-old made these remarks on his Twitter account while responding to a fan.
Brad Hogg: AB de Villiers Unsure Of His Future So A Long Term Investment Would Be Risky For RCB
The fan opined that AB de Villiers should be handed the RCB captaincy reins for next season, with Virat Kohli stepping down from the post after IPL 2021. Brad Hogg pointed out that it remains to be seen whether the champion cricketer will participate in the near future editions of the cash-rich league. He feels AB de Villiers’ willingness to compete in the competition should be considered before making a decision on him.
“AB de Villiers is unsure of his future so making a long term investment on him would be risky for #RCB now. RCB maybe wise to put him back in the auction pool this year & try your luck on getting him for a bargain. Nothing about ability it is more about his desire to play#IPL2021.”
The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) stalwart has only managed scores of 0, 12, 11, 4*, 23, 19*, 26, and 11 in the 8 matches ever since the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League began at the UAE after a four-month postponement due to Covid-19 in India. He has scored 313 runs in 15 IPL 2021 games averaging 31.3.
Brad Hogg: Glenn Maxwell Not Suited As A Captain Of An IPL Team
While replying to another fan on the micro-blogging site, the Aussie campaigner stated that Glenn Maxwell is not suited for a leadership role in the IPL. He cited consistency as the major reason for not handing him the captaincy.
However, Brad Hogg mentioned that the dynamic batter could be given an opportunity to lead a team in the Big Bash League. Notably, Glenn Maxwell was appointed as the skipper of the Punjab team for the 2017 season. However, the all-rounder’s stint did not yield a positive result for the franchise as they failed to cut for the all-important playoffs. Glenn Maxwell, in his debut season for RCB, managed 513 runs in 15 games averaging 42.75.
KKR won the eliminator against RCB and will play Delhi Capitals next in Qualifier 2. Three balls of Sunil Narine, with the bat, changed the game, putting Kolkata Knight Riders one step closer to the IPL final. It was tough, though, as Royal Challengers Bangalore was defending a total of 138 with a fearsome spirit. KKR promoted Sunil Narine up the order, and he hammered 3 sixes on the first legal deliveries he faced.
KKR struck in the 10th over as Sunil Narine picked a wicket in his first over, dismissing KS Bharat. Then, Sunil Narine landed two massive blows in his next two overs. First, he disturbed the timber to get Virat Kohli out for 39 and then bamboozled AB de Villiers to pick his third wicket, pushing RCB on the backfoot. Sunil Narine continued to make merry, and KKR continued to dominate the proceedings as Glenn Maxwell was dismissed in the 17th over.
Kolkata Knight Riders 139 for 6 (Gill 29, Narine 26, Iyer 26, Chahal 2-16, Harshal 2-19, Siraj 2-19) beat Royal Challengers Bangalore 138 for 7 (Kohli 39, Narine 4-21, Ferguson 2-30) by four wickets