Virat Kohli Calls AB de Villiers As ‘Most Impactful Player’ In IPL

Oct 18, 2020 at 2:26 PM

facebook iconlinkedin iconmail icontwitter iconWhatsApp iconTelegram icon
Virat Kohli Calls AB de Villiers As ‘Most Impactful Player’ In IPL

Virat Kohli, the Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper on Saturday, called teammate AB de Villiers the “most impactful player in IPL”. The South African wicket-keeper batsman scored 55 off only 22 balls with the help of one four, and as many as 6 sixes as RCB beat Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets.

RCB reached the 3rd spot on the points table with 12 points from nine matches having won six matches. Chasing 178, AB de Villiers smashed six sixes to help RCB win after everything seemed lost for them as they needed 76 runs in less than seven overs to win following successive wickets of set batsmen Devdutt Padikkal and Virat Kohli with the score at 102 in the 14th over.

AB De Villiers
AB De Villiers

Virat Kohli Rates AB de Villiers As Most Impactful Player In IPL And Credits Individual Efforts Of Both Batsmen And Bowlers

AB de Villiers has now moved to the 8th spot while skipper Virat Kohli is placed 5th and youngster opener Devdutt Padikkal is placed 7th in the list of highest run-scorers in IPL. While Virat Kohli has scored 347 runs averaging 57.83 after a rather slow start while AB De Villiers has scored 285 runs and Devdutt Padikkal has scored 296 runs.

“AB has always been someone who’s been ready to look at the situation and adapt his game accordingly. In my eyes he’s the most impactful player in the IPL,” Kohli said during the post-match presentation ceremony.

“If he goes, the opposition know they have a slim chance and there’s a good reason for that. It’s purely because of the presence of someone like him that teams feel we are never out of the game.”

AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli.
AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli. Image Credit: BCCI/IPL.

“To be honest, you’re always tense in chase because you’re not sure how many balls AB is going to get. Credit to Gurkeerat as well, he stuck with AB, got that important boundary. It doesn’t matter who the bowler is, he does what he does.”

AB de Villiers has scored 285 runs in 9 matches averaging exactly 57. He has scored the maximum number of the fifties numbering four in IPL 2020.

Gurkeerat Singh Mann remained unbeaten on 19 off 17 balls along with AB de Villiers who scored an unbeaten 55 off only 22 balls at a strike rate of 250 to steer RCB to an unlikely victory over Rajasthan Royals.

“The individuals are stepping up and we’ve been done that all through the tournament, which is why we have 12 points.” Kohli said.

Talking about his team, the Indian skipper said: ” The bowling has really stepped up this season.”

AB De Villiers, who was adjudged the Man of the Match for his blistering knock, said he was nervous in the 19th over as he had to hit those big sixes to get his team home.

“When Unadkat was bowling, I was looking at the leg side but to be honest I was nervous because I knew I had to hit it well. I’m very very nervous and erratic (in chase) and I get very stressed like any player.  Last game I didn’t perform my role as well as I should have, but this time I did.”

The seven-wicket victory takes RCB to 12 points from 9 matches with 6 wins. Chris Morris, who was the peak of RCB bowlers with four for 26, said watching calm and composed AB De Villiers batting still blows his mind.

Virat Kohli himself scored 43, but RCB were in a spot of bother losing two quick wickets at the same score of 102.

Steve Smith Dejected At Loss As Decision To Give Jaydev Unadkat The Penultimate Over Backfired

Rajasthan Royals skipper Steve Smith was crestfallen after yet another defeat which was their sixth in nine games.

“Sure it is a hard pill to swallow. Just got AB’d there. That’s two in a row we were in the box seat to win but didn’t. Disappointing,” he said.

Virat Kohli and Steven Smith (RCB vs RR)
Virat Kohli and Steven Smith (RCB vs RR) (Image Credit: IPL)

“I think it was a good score on a slow wicket. I thought we built the pressure pretty well and it took a pretty special innings to take RCB home.”

His decision to give pacer Jaydev Unadkat the penultimate over backfired as he was taken apart by AB de Villiers for three consecutive sixes in the first 3 balls as the over saw as much as 25 runs to tilt the match in Bangalore’s favour.

“We wanted to use Jaydev to the bigger boundary, he bowls a lot of slower stuff into the wicket. Obviously the boundary is not big enough for AB.”

Jaydev Unadkat went wicket-less but conceded 46 runs in four overs.

Related Article
Royal Challengers Batsman Srikar Bharat Sorted RCB’s Problems At No. 3
Royal Challengers Batsman Srikar Bharat Sorted RCB’s Problems At No. 3

Sep 30, 2021, 10:30 PM


Glenn Maxwell Said Srikar Bharat Is A Genuine Top Class Batsman After The Duo Helped To Chase Down 150
Glenn Maxwell Said Srikar Bharat Is A Genuine Top Class Batsman After The Duo Helped To Chase Down 150

Sep 30, 2021, 10:28 PM


Glenn Maxwell Felt Good Since Playing For The Royal Challengers Bangalore In IPL 2021
Glenn Maxwell Felt Good Since Playing For The Royal Challengers Bangalore In IPL 2021

Sep 30, 2021, 10:27 PM


Kevin Pietersen : This Is Just Not The AB de Villiers That Is Used To Seeing In IPL 2021 UAE Leg
Kevin Pietersen : This Is Just Not The AB de Villiers That Is Used To Seeing In IPL 2021 UAE Leg

Sep 30, 2021, 10:26 PM


Virat Kohli Has Impressed Sunil Gavaskar In IPL 2021
Virat Kohli Has Impressed Sunil Gavaskar In IPL 2021

Apr 25, 2021, 4:29 PM


IPL 2021: Kumar Sangakkara Praises Devdutt Padikkal For His Exceptional Innings Of 101*
IPL 2021: Kumar Sangakkara Praises Devdutt Padikkal For His Exceptional Innings Of 101*

Apr 23, 2021, 3:25 PM


Desktop Banner
Mobile Banner