IPL 2019 | Feels good to get Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers’ wicket yet again, says Shreyas Gopal
Shreyas Gopal has stated that he felt good after dismissing Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers for the second time in this year’s Indian Premier League. Before Tuesday’s game, between Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore, Gopal had scalped the duo’s wicket even in the encounter on April 2.
In the encounter between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals, the latter had won the toss and had opted to bowl. However, the match was reduced to five overs per side due to a rain interruption. The duo of AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli had blasted 23 runs in the first over but Shreyas Gopal’s exploits in the final three balls of the next over brought RCB’s blitzkrieg to a screeching halt. The leg-spinner dismissed Kohli for 25 in seven deliveries, followed by de Villiers and Marcus Stoinis’ dismissals in the next two balls to claim this season’s second hat-trick. Gopal has been the highest wicket-taker for his side and the second highest overall with 18 wickets in 13 matches and was delighted to get the duo dismissed twice in as many matches.Â
"I had a lot more nerves than what they would have had against me. It feels good to be getting them out," he said at the post-match press conference, reported IANS.Â
RCB had set a target of 63 runs in five overs and RR had scored 41 for 1 in 3.2 overs but the match was abandoned after it started raining yet again. This meant that RCB were officially knocked out of the tournament but it has also put the Royals in a precarious position with 11 points in 13 games. The currently fifth-placed side will have to win the encounter against Delhi Capitals on May 4 and still rely on other results in order to qualify. Despite his fine show, the Karnataka spinner was disappointed to not end up with a victory.
"Unfortunately for us, we didn't cross the line and didn't fall on the winning side. We still don't know how things are in the (points) table. But it feels good to take those wickets in whatever overs that we had. I am pretty happy about that," signed off the 25-year-old.
