RCB crumbled in IPL 2016 final vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, admits AB de Villiers
De Villier recounted the disappointing tale from the IPL 2016 final
|Royal Challengers Bangalore star AB de Villiers, who has been with the club since IPL 2011, admitted that his side crumbled in the IPL 2016 final against Sunrisers Hyderabad, which they lost by 8 runs despite having the upper hand. De Villiers described the defeat as a ‘sour taste in the mouth’.
Having previously lost two finals in 2009 and 2011, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), entered the final of the 2016 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) against SRH brimming with confidence, especially with their skipper Virat Kohli in mind-boggling form, having scored over 900 runs in the tournament prior to the final. After losing the toss and conceding 208 runs in the first innings, the situation looked bleak, but a breathtaking opening stand from skipper Kohli and Chris Gayle incredibly took them to 114/0 off just 10.2 overs and made them firm favourites.
However, anticlimactically, what followed next was one of the worst capitulations in IPL history as after losing both the openers, the team scored just 86 more runs in the following 58 balls to lose the final by 8 runs. One senior batsman who was guilty of not taking RCB over the line was South Africa’s AB de Villiers and recalling the horror final, the 36-year-old admitted that his side crumbled under pressure. The defeat, according to de Villiers, left a sour taste in the mouth.
"We did crumble in one final, so that was a bit of a sour taste in my mouth. We did let it slip with the ball towards the end - they (SRH) got 220, which was always going to be a tough total to chase in the final. But we were 110/0 after 9 overs, so that's when you think, 'Hold on, we actually should have won it.',” de Villiers said in the ‘Super Over’ podcast featuring Jemimah Rodrigues and JP Duminy.
However, despite loathing his own side for the defeat, de Villiers gave credit to the SRH bowling attack and attested that they were the best bowling side of the tournament in that particular season. The South African T20 superstar further went on to admit that RCB were intimidated by the SRH bowling attack, led by Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
“But SRH had the best bowling attack in the tournament, at that time, so you gotta give them credit for that. They sort of intimidated us with that. Bhuvi and the guys, I think they defended 5 or 6 runs an over in some of the games, and that was in the back of our minds, and that did intimidate us. So well done to them, but we did crumble under pressure.”
Since joining RCB ahead of the IPL 2011 season, de Villiers has spent 9 seasons with the club and has established himself as the single most valuable player of the team alongside skipper Virat Kohli. Reflecting on the nine seasons he’s had with the club thus far, the South African stalwart said that he was grateful to have been able to build bonds and create a plethora of memories and added that he feels valued in the franchise. The 36-year-old further stated that winning the IPL with RCB is something that is on his bucket list.
"It's been amazing (the journey with RCB). The first thing that comes to my mind is the connections and friendships that I've developed over the years; it's invaluable, the people I've met. The experiences I've had, the different grounds I've played at, I've been very fortunate to have been a part of the RCB family.
“People have really looked after me and valued my input in the setup. And once you feel valued in the setup, it brings out the best in you as a player and a person. I've not won a trophy yet, so that's definitely on my priority list to achieve over the next few years, but sport is always not about results, it's about creating memories and experiences; those are the things, I think, once you're really old, you'll remember."
