Difference of opinion between Kohli and De Villiers costs RCB the match

Photo: BCCI

New Delhi: One of the biggest reasons for RCB’s success over the years in the IPL has been the camaraderie between Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. Now when the team is in the brink of its worst ever IPL performance after the inaugural edition, where they finished at the bottom of the table, there seems to be little cracks developing in the most sought after partnership between Kohli and ABD. 

There was no altercation between the two modern day greats but the differences have been in the thinking process, which was so severe that it became one of the reasons for RCB’s last over loss against Mumbai Indians on Monday.

Fast bowler Aniket Chaudhary had Rohit and Pandya searching for timing for the better part of the 18th over in the Mumbai Indians chase. Needing 24 off 13, the pressure was firmly on the lean shoulders of Pandya to deliver the goods. Chaudhary, who had bowled five back to back fuller length slower ones decided to bowl a bouncer on De Villiers’ advice. Just the ball Pandya was waiting for, he was quick to jump on backfoot and deposited over the square leg boundary for a six. 

This decision from Chaudhary did go down well with captain Kohli, who wanted him to pursue with the change of pace strategy.

Chaudhary himself admitted that it turned out be the turning point of the match 

“I was wondering whether to bowl him the slower one or the fast one. Maybe it was a match-changing point. So, I went to him and asked ‘What should I bowl?’ AB said, ‘Maybe he is ready for the slower one, so I think you should go with the hard length,” said Chaudhary.

“When someone as great as AB tells you to something, it’s very hard to go against it. Virat wasn’t happy with what I bowled. He thought I did the wrong thing and should have bowled it full and slow,” added Aniket. 

RCB lost the match 5 wickets and are languishing at the bottom half of the table with just 2 wins from 11 matches.