‘RCB se ummeed nahi thi because…’ – How Virat Kohli & Co did it
When Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) defeated Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their do-or-die match in Bengaluru last Saturday, they scripted a comeback that is nothing less than iconic and will be remembered for the years to come.
After losing seven of their first eight matches, the Bengaluru team, led by Faf du Plessis and inspired by Orange Cap holder Virat Kohli (708 runs), won their next six matches on the trot to push CSK out of the race and finish in the top four on the leaderboard.
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That made RCB the first IPL team ever to qualify for the playoffs after losing seven of their first eight matches in the season.
Former India allrounder Irfan Pathan, who has the experience of playing in the IPL, described what this remarkable turnaround means to the league and RCB.
“This season has been iconic (for RCB). You don’t do such things again and again. RCB se aapko ummeed isliye nahi thi kyuki unki gendbaazi unit itni pukhta hai nahi (you didn’t have hope from RCB because their bowling unit is not that strong),” said Irfan on Star Sports.
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“If you see the teams that have made it to the top four (playoffs), if you compare their bowling units, RCB’s bowling is not that strong. You don’t have a bowler who can bowl yorkers. Despite that, you win six matches in a row and qualify for the playoffs. For that reason, this is an iconic season — for Virat Kohli, for Faf du Plessis, for RCB and their fans. I haven’t recovered until now,” the player cum commentator added.
The league phase concluded on Sunday to confirm the standings in the top four, with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR, 20 points) finishing on top, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH, 17 points) number two, Rajasthan Royals (RR, 17 points) third and RCB (14 points) at the fourth position.
RCB finished ahead of CSK, Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants (all with 14 points) on net run rate.
That means KKR and SRH will play Qualifier 1, while RR and RCB will face off in the Eliminator. The winners of Qualifier 1 move directly into the final, while the losers take on the winning team from the Eliminator to decide the second finalist.
Pathan reckoned it takes life out of you if you don’t win a match for one month, which happened with RCB this season, but still they didn’t give up and rose like a Phoenix.
“RCB kharab khel rahi thi shuru mei (RCB were playing bad at the start). They didn’t win a match for one month…I have played the IPL. If you lose even two matches in a row, your hands and legs start shaking…If you don’t win for a month, you are dead. They (RCB) have risen like a phoenix. From the dead, they have come alive…That’s the kind of cricket they have played. This season will be remembered for that for the years to come,” said Irfan. 