IPL 2020: ‘Virat Kohli did not match his high standards’ – Sunil Gavaskar points out reasons for RCB’s failure to win IPL


IPL 2020: ‘Virat Kohli did not match his high standards’ – Sunil Gavaskar points out reasons for RCB’s failure to win IPL

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) had an Indian Premier League season of highs and lows. The season however, came crashing down towards the end to conclude the franchise’s campaign on a low. RCB had got off to an excellent start in the IPL winning 7 out of their first 10 matches. However, loss after loss followed towards the end of the campaign. The side lost their last 5 matches in a row to bow out of the IPL.

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Their Eliminator match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) was a close one but RCB found themselves on the wrong side of the result once again thanks to some below-par batting by the middle-order. Their middle-order and finishing has come under scrutiny a lot of times during the entire history of the IPL. This year was no different as the runs just didn’t come.

‘Virat Kohli’s form was one of the reasons’ – Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil-gavaskar-Rohit-Sharma
Sunil Gavaskar

Speaking about what RCB will have to do ahead of the next IPL, “I think where they need to do a little bit of thinking is to give Shivam Dube a proper role. Dube has gone down and Sundar has gone up and down. If he can be given a role and told to go out there and thrash the ball, it might help him. He is confused now. If they can get a solid player at No. 5, then it will ease the pressure of de Villiers and Virat,” remarked Gavaskar on Star Sports.

Gavaskar then spoke of captain Virat Kohli’s form and his performances in this year’s IPL. “Looking at the high standards that he sets for himself, maybe he would say he didn’t quite match that and that’s one of the reasons why RCB weren’t able to go through. Because when he scores those big runs along with AB de Villiers, they invariably have big scores,” Gavaskar said.

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He then pointed out the weakness in RCB’s bowling attack. “If anything, their bowling has always been their weak point. Even now, in this particular team, they have got an Aaron Finch, who is a fine T20 player, young Devdutt Padikkal, who began well and then Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, then you have really got it made,” he added.

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