Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) AB de Villiers, who was demoted in the batting order against Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), on Saturday (October 17) revealed that he was getting ready to bat at his usual No. 4 position but was asked to wait by the team management.
See Also: Virat Kohli explains reason behind AB de Villiers’ demotion in the batting order
The decision to promote Washington Sundar and Shivam Dube ahead of De Villiers backfired as RCB suffered its third defeat of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 against the bottom-placed KXIP in Sharjah on Thursday (October 15).
Batting at No. 4, Sundar scored 13 off 14 balls while Dube made 23 off 19 balls at the fifth position.
On the other hand, De Villiers finally came to bat at No. 6 when the innings already reached the 16th over and he could face only 5 balls before being dismissed by Mohammad Shami for 2. Later, Chris Morris played a stunning came of 8-ball 25* to take RCB to 171/6.
In reply, Kings XI rode on skipper KL Rahul’s 49-ball 61* and Chris Gayle’s 45-ball 53 to overhaul the target in the last delivery of the match with 8 wickets in hand.
"RCB chose to bat first against Kings XI Punjab, and I was expecting to go in at No.4 as usual. In fact, when the second wicket fell, with our score 62 for two in the sixth over, I started to make my way through the gate that leads out to the wicket.
"At that precise moment, I was asked to wait because the coach and captain had decided to send out left-handers to face the two KXIP leg-spinners, who were bowling at the time," De Villiers wrote in his column for Hindustan Times.
The South African batting genius, however, fully supported the captain and coach's decision even though it didn't give the team a fruitful outcome.
"At the outset, let me say I am a team man. If the coach and captain agree a strategy, I am not going to second guess them. I will always support them. That’s the way successful teams function.
"That was a legitimate cricketing decision. Teams all around the world often prefer left-handed batsmen to face leg-spin bowling. I did not question the call at the time it was made, and I do not question the call now. There is absolutely no problem from my side.
"For my part, I am eager and willing to bat wherever and whenever the team needs me, and to help RCB advance our campaign to realise our potential and win this league," De Villiers stated.
RCB will take on Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their next clash on Saturday (October 17).
