IPL 2020: RCB skipper Virat Kohli explains why he sent AB de Villiers to bat at No.6 against KXIP
Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli has explained why he sent star batsman AB de Villiers to bat as low as No.6 during their first innings against Kings XI Punjab.
De Villiers was the star of the show in RCB's previous win over the Kolkata Knight Riders as he smashed 73 runs off 33 balls after coming in to bat at No.4.
Virat Kohli has now revealed that the decision was made because the team management wanted to maintain a left-hand right-hand combination at the crease, especially with two leg-spinners in KXIP's ranks.
He explained in the post-match presentation:
"We had a chat. There was a message from outside about left hand-right hand [combination] and we had a discussion about it and we wanted to go ahead with it because they had two leggies (Ravi Bishnoi and M Ashwin) and that could have kept them out of the game."
He added:
"Look sometimes decisions that you take don't come off. This was one of those nights. But look, we're pretty happy with the decisions we took, especially in the batting innings, but they just didn't come off. Having said that, I think 170-plus was a decent score on that pitch. Had we hit decent areas on the pitch, then we would have been in the game much more than we did."
I think the game should have ended by the 18th over: Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli was surprised that the game went down to the last ball and believes it should have ended by the 18th over.
KXIP were cruising in their chase of 172 runs thanks to a brilliant start by Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul. Chris Gayle also chipped in with a half-century, and KXIP only needed 2 runs to win off the final over.
However, things began to get tight when Gayle was run-out in the last over. Needing one run to win off the final ball, Nicholas Pooran smashed the ball for a six and gave KXIP their second win of the season.
Virat Kohli said:
"Things became interesting, to be honest. They kind of let us come back in the game, because I think it should have ended by the 18th over."
RCB will play their next IPL 2020 match against Rajasthan Royals at Dubai on 17th October and will be hoping to get back to winning ways.