Skipper Virat Kohli wrote an emotional message thanking his fans for their support in a season of high and low for his franchise, after Royal Challenger’s Bangalore(RCB)’s run for the IPL trophy once again ended on a somber note on Friday. The team that once looked invincible is now out of the tournament with some bad luck. Kane Williamson’s unbeaten fifty helped SRH beat RCB by six wickets in the IPL eliminator.
The Royal Challengers have never won the IPL but finished runners-up on three occasions between 2009 and 2016.
“Together through the highs and lows. It’s been a great journey for us as a unit. Yes, things did not go our way but proud of the whole group. Thank you to all our fans for your support. Your love makes us stronger. See you all soon.” Kohli posted on his official Twitter page.
Also read: Williamson, Holder help SRH beat RCB in Eliminator to keep final hopes alive
Asked to bat first, RCB never looked stable in the first innings. Barring AB de Villiers (56) and Aaron Finch (32), no other batsmen could deliver in the crucial game. The team had lost three consecutive matches before coming into this game and the confidence did not seem to pick up on field at the Sheikh Zayed stadium in Abu Dhabi.
Kohli is also facing a lot of criticism on the social media platform. Angry fans are trending ‘Virat Kohli Knocknouts Choker’ after he failed to deliver amidst high expectations from the RCB captain.
Kohli’s captaincy has also been questioned by cricket experts. Former Indian opener and former captain of Kolkata Knight Riders(KKR) Gautam Gambhir believes that Kohli should take account of the defeat and also give away his captaincy. Under Gambhir’s leadership, KKR won it’s first IPL trophy in 2012.
In an interview with ESPN Cricinfo, Gambhir said, “100%, because the problem is about accountability. Eight years into the tournament [without a trophy], eight years is a long time. Tell me any other captain… forget about the captain, tell me any other player who would have got eight years and wouldn’t have won the title and would have still continued with it. So it has to be accountability. A captain needs to take accountability.”
After a slow start, RCB picked up in the middle of the IPL making it to the upper rung of the points table. Kolhi’s emotional note is an indication of the uncertainties in the world of IPL.
