RCB overhauled LSG's 228-run target in 18.4 overs to win the match by six wickets.
South African legend AB de Villiers slammed the IPL commentators for their negative comments on RCB bowlers and remaining fixated on a narrative during their last league match of the ongoing season against LSG.
While de Villiers refrained from mentioning any names, he said the commentary during the RCB versus LSG clash in Lucknow on Tuesday (May 27) left him "so angry".
In a high-scoring affair at the Ekana Cricket Stadium, RCB overhauled LSG's 228-run target in 18.4 overs to win the match by six wickets. As a result, the Bengaluru-based franchise finished in top-two of the table and sealed a spot in Qualifier 1.
De Villiers called out the commentators for criticising the RCB bowlers during LSG's innings without taking into account the conditions at play.
"I listened to the commentators last night, and honestly, it got me so angry," said de Villiers on his YouTube channel.
"They were so negative when we were bowling. They kept saying, 'RCB's bowling is under pressure. They don't look like they're going to manage it. Once again, an in-form team is starting to lose momentum.' But what about this- maybe it was just a really good batting wicket, guys? To all you very clever and sharp commentators out there, how about considering the possibility that it was an excellent surface for batting?"
While watching the match, AB de Villiers felt that the commentators were fixated on a narrative.
"They went on about how RCB's bowling unit was once again in poor form. As I watched the match, I thought: sometimes commentators get fixated on a narrative. Yes, RCB have never won a title, but it's lazy to keep saying, 'Here we go again. The bowlers are failing, they're useless,' without properly analysing what's happening on the field. Rishabh Pant is not going to score 118 off 60-odd balls on a tricky, very difficult pitch. All the LSG batters were fluent out there.
"Yes, there was some poor bowling at times. But ultimately, one must look at the bigger picture- 227 runs on a wicket that typically doesn't support such batting suggests it was simply a very good surface. RCB were still in the contest; they weren't blown away, and they proved that," he added.
Asked to bat first, LSG racked up a massive 227/3 in their allotted 20 overs on the back of Rishabh Pant's dazzling 118* off 61 balls.
In reply, Virat Kohli slammed a half-century (54 off 30) and after his dismissal, Jitesh Sharma (85* off 33) and Mayank Agarwal (41* off 23) took matters into their own hands to finish off the chase.
De Villiers emphasized that the current RCB side does not depend on any superstar. "What excites me most this season is that multiple players are stepping up, not just one or two. It's not just the usual Virat Kohli or, back in the day, a Chris Gayle. Now, we see the whole squad responding under pressure," he remarked.
"We saw Krunal Pandya play a phenomenal knock, I think, in the game against Delhi. Josh Hazlewood did his job when called upon. Everyone who has joined the team seems to have found a way to contribute. That, to me, is the hallmark of a successful and healthy squad.
"Take Mayank Agarwal, for instance. He only recently joined the side but made a match-winning contribution. That shows he felt comfortable within the team culture and environment," he concluded.