Shikhar Dhawan's tactics were questioned as Punjab Kings lost a thrilling encounter to RCB in the last over.
It was RCB who took the honours at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru when they registered their first win of the season by defeating Punjab Kings. After losing their first match to CSK, RCB were under pressure to win at their home ground. But the team showed character, led by their star, Virat Kohli.
On the other hand, Punjab Kings will be disappointed with this loss. They had few opportunities but they couldn’t take them. The dropped catch by Jonny Bairstow, when Virat Kohli was on 0, proved costly for Punjab as Kohli took the game away from them.
Punjab captain Shikhar Dhawan’a innings was under the scanner as well. He scored 45 off 37 balls which was termed ‘slow’ by former India opener Aakash Chopra. While trying to accelerate, Dhawan got out in the 13th over when he miscued an inside-out shot to Virat Kohli at long-off.
Former RCB batter AB de Villiers slammed Dhawan for his tactics as a captain. Surprisingly, PBKS fast bowler Kagiso Rabada was bowled out in the 14th over of RCB’s innings. The move did not go down well with De Villiers who, in the post-match show on Jio Cinema, asserted that Rabada’s one over should have been kept for the end.
“I wasn’t at the comms at the time but the moment this happened, I thought yeah it was a mistake. I didn’t agree with the decision at all. RCB were going well so you knew this match would go to the end and KG was needed there,” de Villiers said.
Meanwhile, former India legspinner Anil Kumble felt that Rahul Chahar’s expensive over forced Dhawan to bowl Rabada out in the 14th over.
“Maybe if Rahul had bowled well, Punjab could have kept Rabada for the death overs,” Kumble said.
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Rabada’s record in the slog overs hasn’t been great in the last few years. But with the new ball, he has been exceptional, providing his team with vital brealkthroughs. On Monday (March 25), he finished with 2-23 in four overs but could not his team over the line as Punjab bowlers leaked runs at the death.
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