Karnataka’s young leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal landed on his home ground the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium with a proper plan against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Sunday (15 April).

Bowling for Rajasthan Royals (RR), the 24-year-old used his knowledge of home pitch very well against the RCB in an IPL 2018 match on Sunday, went on to dismiss skipper Virat Kohli (57) and the destructive South African batsman AB de Villiers (20) to ruin their hopes to chase down the record target of 218.

However, it was a complete effort from the bowlers to prevent the RCB from chasing the target as RR beat the Challengers by 19-runs.

As per reports in Hindustan Times, Shreyas said of his plan, “I was just looking to bowl into the wicket a little bit. When I saw first, every time they bowled back of a length, it was gripping a little bit and coming slow off the wicket. That was the plan. Shane Warne (RR mentor) and everyone told me the kind of field I should be bowling to and just execute that plan and back that plan 100 percent.”

Gopal, whose spell of 4-0-22-2 mid-innings was outstanding for RR, admits he got their wickets at not the best deliveries.

He further added, “Yes, they were not the best balls that I got ABD and Kohli, I think the plan was to just bowl those hard lengths and make it as difficult as possible for them. This wicket was a little slower than the normal Bangalore wicket. But with the grass off I expected it to be on the little slower side after watching the previous game.

Shreyas signed off by saying, “When it comes to getting two of the biggest players in the world, it doesn’t happen every day. I just need to soak it in. I am privileged and honored to have got their wickets. It’s a moment that I will always cherish. We needed a wicket at that time, and so I was just trying to bowl some good balls and make them make a bad decision or play a bad shot. And if I get a wicket that will probably stem the run rate a little bit.”