IPL 2021 | Would be lying to say that I was not nervous while bowling to AB De Villiers, admits Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Bhuvneshwar Kumar has said that he was nervous while bowling to Royal Challengers Bangalore’s AB De Villiers in the last over when RCB needed 13 runs to win the game against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday. Bhuvneshwar defended 13 runs to win the match for Sunrisers by four runs in Abu Dhabi.
Bangalore’s skipper Virat Kohli won the toss and asked Kane Williamson’s Sunrisers Hyderabad to bat first. Sunrisers posted 141/7 despite the partnership of 70 runs between Jason Roy and Kane Williamson for the second wicket. SRH batters couldn’t capitalise as Kane Williamson was cleaned up by Purple Cap holder Harshal Patel when the scorecard read 84/2. Wickets kept falling in the regular interval as they posted a paltry total of 141. Chasing 142. RCB got off to a poor start as they lost the wickets of Virat Kohli, Dan Christian and Srikar Bharat inside seven overs when the scorecard read 38/3.
Glenn Maxwell and Devdutt Padikkal stitched a steady partnership of 54 runs for the fourth wicket before Maxwell was run out by virtue of a direct hit by Williamson. Padikkal followed soon after, as he fell to Rashid Khan. AB De Villiers and Shahbaz Ahmed tried to chase the target before Shahbaz got out to a slow bouncer by Jason Holder in the penultimate over. RCB needed 13 runs with De Villiers and George Garton on the crease. De Villiers denied the single on the third ball of the over when they needed 12 runs. The Protean hit a six on the fourth ball against Bhuvneshwar Kumar reducing the equation to six runs to win in two balls. Bhuvneshwar bowled a full toss outside off stump and De Villiers denied the single once again. With six runs needed on the last ball, Kumar bowled another full toss outside off stump to win the game for SRH.
After his heroics, Kumar said he would be lying if he said he did not have nerves while bowling to the great man.
"If I say there were no nerves, I would be lying. For AB - I was just trying to be full, and nothing else. That was the only plan - I went for six and then I went with wide yorkers. We were thinking 10-15 runs short but the way everyone bowled was tremendous," said Bhuvneshwar after the match.
When asked about his fitness status as he was hit by Glenn Maxwell, he said he was fine as he got hit thrice in the game.
"It's fine, I got hit thrice, but it's okay."
With this loss, RCB's chances of finishing in the top two spots in the points table before the playoffs are diminished. They have to hope that Punjab Kings beats Chennai Super Kings in their last league game on Thursday and then they have to beat Delhi Capitals on Friday to finish in the top two.