Virender Sehwag and AB de Villiers. (Image Source: Twitter)
Virender Sehwag and AB de Villiers. (Image Source: Twitter)

Virender Sehwag’s tweet that the IPL logo is designed after AB de Villiers came as the Proteas batsman played a knock of 48 runs off just 27 balls with the help of four boundaries and two sixes.

It helped Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) defeat Mumbai Indians by two wickets in the tournament opener on Friday here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Virender Sehwag
Virender Sehwag

Virender Sehwag: No Wonder The IPL Logo Is Secretly Designed After AB De Villiers’ Will Power

Virender Sehwag, a former Indian batsman has said that the Indian Premier League (IPL) logo has been secretly designed for South Africa batsman AB de Villiers. AB de Villiers came out to bat in the 13th over as RCB was chasing 160 for the win.

AB de Villiers [Image-IPLT20]
AB de Villiers [Image-IPLT20]
Virat Kohli was already back in the pavilion and AB de Villiers also saw Glenn Maxwell and Shahbaz Ahmed departing in quick succession. However, AB de Villiers maintained his own calm demeanor to help RCB keep up with the asking run-rate.

 

The Proteas batsman got out in the final over as he was run out, but RCB managed to register a win by 2 wickets in the final over of the innings. Harshal Patel delivered a stunning bowling performance before AB de Villiers’ masterclass as RCB defeated Mumbai Indians by two wickets.

AB de Villiers now is nearing 5000 IPL runs as he has 4897 runs in 170 IPL games at an average of 40.47 with 3 fifties and 38 half-centuries. AB de Villiers is also known as the 360-degree batsman, possesses hard-hitting skills, is more than a decent wicket-keeper, and an agile fielder that can put an acrobat to shame on the cricket field.

Royal Challengers Bangalore’s wicketkeeper-batsman AB de Villiers returned to 22 yards with a match-winning 27-ball 48 knock. AB de Villiers, who last played competitive cricket in IPL 2020 in the UAE, seemed to pick up where he left off.

The 37-year-old came in to bat in the 13th over, when RCB were 98/3, needing 62 runs to win from 45 balls. The former Proteas batsman smashed 4 fours and 2 sixes, striking at a blistering rate of 177.78, to bail his team out of jail and put them in a commanding position.

Virender Sehwag’s sense of humour is great, and his tweets are proof. Like fans, Virender Sehwag cannot keep his excitement at bay as he tweeted that the IPL logo is designed after AB De Villiers.

Virender Sehwag Also Praised Harshal Patel In His Tweet

Harshal Patel had picked five wickets (three in the final over) to restrict Mumbai Indians to 159 runs in the allotted 20 overs and as a result, he became the first bowler a take a fifer against Mumbai Indians in the IPL.

Harshal Patel finished 5 for 27 for RCB against Mumbai Indians.
Harshal Patel finished 5 for 27 for RCB against Mumbai Indians. © BCCI/IPL

In response, RCB got over the line on the last ball, courtesy of some fine hitting by AB de Villiers in the death overs. For RCB, Glenn Maxwell and AB de Villiers played crucial game-changing knocks of 39 and 48 respectively. Skipper Virat Kohli also played a 33-run knock of 29 balls.

The right-arm pacer Harshal Patel became the 22nd bowler in the IPL to claim a fifer in an IPL match. He has now recorded the third-best bowling figures by an RCB bowler in the cash-rich league. Harshal Patel also became the third RCB bowler to claim a five-wicket haul.

Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma (capt), Chris Lynn, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Marco Jansen, Jayant Yadav, Trent Boult,  Jasprit Bumrah

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli(c), Rajat Patidar, AB de Villiers(w), Glenn Maxwell, Daniel Christian, Washington Sundar, Kyle Jamieson, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Shahbaz Ahmed, Yuzvendra Chahal

RCB will next face 2016 champions Sunrisers Hyderabad at the same venue in Chennai on April 14.