IPL 2020: Shivam Dube Bowling The Last Over Was A Bad Calculation: Gautam Gambhir Points Out Virat Kohli’s Mistake
Sep 25, 2020 at 7:34 PM
Gautam Gambhir, cricketer-turned-commentator, said that Virat Kohli’s miscalculation of giving Shivam Dube the last over had cost Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) the defeat against Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) in their second match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020.
RCB was finding for a breakthrough and allrounder Shivam Dube gave that to RCB. He broke the 57 runs partnership of KL Rahul and Nicholas Pooran. Then, he also went on to pick the prize wicket of Glenn Maxwell in his next over. But the highlight of the innings was Kohli handing the youngster to bowl the last over of KXIP’s innings although Dube is not a death-over bowler. KL Rahul, who was already settled and had already crossed 100 runs mark, smacked the pacer two fours and two sixes in that over.
As a result, Rahul registered the highest ever score by a captain in IPL, unbeaten 132 off 69 balls and also lead KXIP to set up a mammoth target of 207 runs against RCB. On the other hand, while chasing the target, Virat Kohli and co. bundled out for 109 runs as they lost the match by 97 runs.
Small mistakes can make a huge difference: Gautam Gambhir
Speaking on ESPNCricinfo’s analysis show T20 Time Out, Gambhir said that Shivam Dube’s picking two wickets would have tempted any captain to give him one more over to bowl but Kohli should not have given him the last over.
“I know Shivam Dube bowled really well in his first two overs. Yes, you would be tempted to give him a third over, but not the last over. When KL Rahul is already set and batting on 100+, you are walking on the edge, because that can happen,” Gautam Gambhir said.
As per Gautam Gambhir, either Dale Steyn or Navdeep Saini should have bowled the last over of KXIP’s innings. He stated that it was the bad calculation of Virat Kohli.
“I would have Navdeep Saini or Dale Steyn bowling the last over, even though Steyn is not the best death over. But I would have given the last over to the best bowler of the team,” Gambhir said.
“You finished off Navdeep Saini in the 17th over. Probably, you could have used Umesh Yadav, who did not have the best of the days. But Shivam Dube bowling the last over was a bad calculation,” the former KKR captain added.
KL Rahul’s unbeaten knock was also supported by Virat Kohli dropping his catch twice at 83 and 89. Gautam Gambhir also talked about that and said ‘small mistakes can make a huge difference.’
“Had KL Rahul got out for 86-89, Kings XI would have scored 185, and chasing that would have been completely different gameplan for RCB. That is how it happened, that is what T20 cricket. Small mistakes can make a huge difference as well. It was a huge impact, especially from those results point of view,” Gautam Gambhir said.
Virat Kohli-led lost their first match of the tournament after winning their tournament opener against SRH. They will play their next match against Mumbai Indians on Monday.