IPL 2021: "You can't expect AB de Villiers & Glenn Maxwell to pick up the pieces all the time"- Brad Hogg on RCB's defeat against PBKS
Brad Hogg has slammed Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for their slow batting in the first ten overs of their chase against the Punjab Kings, as only 62 runs came for the loss of one wicket. The former Australian spinner said that RCB are too reliant on Glenn Maxwell and AB de Villiers to up the ante in the latter phase of their innings.
Virat Kohli (35 off 34) and Rajat Patidar (31 off 30) failed to get going after the early dismissal of Devdutt Padikkal. The two batsmen didn't show enough urgency, as RCB succumbed to a 34-run defeat while chasing 180 to win.
Brad Hogg, in a tweet, was critical of RCB's batting approach in the first ten overs, where he said:
"RCB going at 6 an over after 10 overs with only the loss of 1 wicket chasing 179 was not ideal. Yes, you have Maxwell and De Villiers to come, but you can't expect them to pick up the pieces all the time."
AB de Villiers has played a few influential knocks for RCB this season, while Glenn Maxwell has also made some vital contributions with the bat. But the duo failed to get going against PBKS.
Meanwhile, barring his unbeaten 72 against the Rajasthan Royals, Virat Kohli has had a quiet IPL 2021 campaign by his lofty standards, scoring at only 121.47.
Virat Kohli rues lack of momentum for RCB's defeat to PBKS
Virat Kohli observed that hitting through the line wasn't an easy proposition on the Ahmedabad surface. However, he did acknowledge that his batters could have tried a few more things in the middle. He said in this regard at the post-match presentation ceremony:
"With the bat, we never got the momentum; they bowled well, to be honest. Just kept the pressure going. But as batsmen, we could have tried more things at the start. It was tough to hit through the line."
Despite their latest defeat, RCB remain in a strong position to qualify for the playoffs, given the impressive start to their campaign. They are third in the points table and will next take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on 3rd May (Monday).