IPL 2020 | Negativity not seeping into bowling was biggest positive, claims Virat Kohli

09/22/2020

Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli heaped praise on his bowlers for choking the SRH batsmen towards the end and keeping their cool despite coming under considerable pressure. At 121/2, SRH looked like they were cruising towards a win, but the RCB bowlers pulled things back dramatically.

Defending 164, an expensive 15th over from Dale Steyn brought the equation down to 43 off last five overs for the chasing Sunrisers Hyderabad side, and with a set Jonny Bairstow looking in ominous touch, a victory for David Warner’s side looked inevitable. However, in what ended up being a remarkable twist, the RCB bowlers showed incredible mettle to pull things back and after their talisman Yuzvendra Chahal inflicted a collapse, they finished things off in style to win their first match of their IPL 2020 campaign by 10 runs.

The RCB sides of the past might very well have thrown the game away and in the post-match presentation, this, exactly, is what skipper Virat Kohli noted. Kohli expressed his sheer delight in the character shown by his bowlers to pull things back and seal a convincing win for the side.

“In the past if we had 43 off 5, you'd see the shoulders dropping but the guys kept believing, kept attacking. Someone like Washy not bowling enough and a part-timer doing it are good signs. The fact that we didn't let negativity slip into the bowling group was a great sign and Dube bowling those three overs was really good to see,” Kohli said at the post-match presentation.

The game looked like a goner for RCB for all money, but leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal made a divine intervention just at the right time and knocked over Bairstow and Shankar in back-to-back deliveries to turn the tide in Kohli’s side’s favour. The RCB skipper described the spell of Chahal, who finished with figures of 3/18 off his 4, as the turning point of the encounter.

“It's amazing and last year we were on the other side of the results. We kept our composure tonight. Yuzi came in and changed the game for us. Tonight he showed that if you have skill, you can get purchase on any wicket. The way he came in and bowled attacking lines, he was the one in my opinion who changed the game.”

RCB’s next fixture will be against Kings XI Punjab at the same venue on Thursday, September 24.