AB de Villiers Defends RCB's Bowling Amid Criticism in IPL 2025 Match

In a recent episode of ABD 360, AB de Villiers passionately defended Royal Challengers Bengaluru's bowling performance during their IPL 2025 match against Lucknow Super Giants. He criticized commentators for their negative assessments, arguing that the pitch conditions were more favorable for batting than they acknowledged. De Villiers highlighted Rishabh Pant's impressive innings and emphasized that RCB's bowlers were not entirely to blame for the high scores. The match saw RCB chase down a challenging target, securing a spot in Qualifier 1, showcasing their resilience despite the criticism.

By Narendra Chaudhary May 29, 2025, 14:15 IST

De Villiers Stands Up for RCB's Bowling Performance

Former South African captain AB de Villiers has voiced strong criticism against certain analysts who disparaged the bowling performance of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) during their IPL 2025 clash with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on May 27.

In his monthly show, ABD 360, de Villiers expressed that the commentators were excessively harsh, ridiculing RCB's bowling without taking into account the pitch conditions at the Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Stadium. He argued that if the pitch was as difficult as claimed by the commentators during the first innings, Rishabh Pant would not have managed to score 118 runs off 61 balls.

In the match, RCB allowed 227 runs while batting first, needing a win to secure a top-two position in the league for the first time in nine seasons. Acting captain Jitesh Sharma won the toss and opted to bowl first, but his strategy had some flaws. LSG's openers, Mitchell Marsh and Rishabh Pant, capitalized on the situation, leading their team to achieve their highest home score.

Pant, who had struggled earlier in the season, hit eight sixes and eleven fours, marking his first IPL century in seven years. The pitch at Ekana Stadium proved to be more favorable for batting than usual, benefiting both teams.

RCB made history by chasing down the 228-run target in just 18.4 overs, with Jitesh Sharma scoring an impressive 85* off 33 balls and Virat Kohli adding 54 off 30 balls, securing two vital points and a spot in Qualifier 1.

De Villiers Critiques Commentators' Narratives

"Listening to the commentators last night made me quite upset. They were overly negative about our bowling, claiming, 'RCB's bowling is under pressure. They don't seem capable of handling it. Once again, an in-form team is losing momentum.' But perhaps it was simply a great batting wicket? To all the insightful commentators out there, consider the possibility that it was an excellent surface for batting?"

"They kept insisting that RCB's bowling unit was struggling again. As I watched, I realized that commentators often latch onto a narrative. Yes, RCB has yet to win a title, but it's simplistic to keep saying, 'Here we go again. The bowlers are failing,' without properly analyzing the game. Rishabh Pant wouldn't score 118 runs on a challenging pitch. All LSG batters were in good form that day."

"While there were moments of poor bowling, one must consider the overall context—227 runs on a pitch that usually doesn't favor such scoring indicates it was a very good batting surface. RCB remained competitive; they weren't completely outplayed, and they demonstrated that."

RCB's bowling has often been a weak point in crucial matches. In this game, they missed the services of fast bowler Josh Hazlewood, and the pace attack led by Yash Dayal and Bhuvneshwar Kumar conceded too many runs.