Former Royal Challengers Bangalore bowling coach Ashish Nehra urged his former franchise not to experiment too much with their winning combination and hopes to see the team end their campaign in the same way it has started the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021.
RCB won their fourth game in succession by beating Rajasthan Royals by 10 wickets in Match 16 of IPL 2021 on Thursday. Devdutt Padikkal (101 not out) and Virat Kohli’s (72 not out) opening partnership took them past the target of 178 with 21 balls to spare after a superb performance by the bowlers saw them restrict RR to 177 for 9 in 20 overs.
The win took them back on top of the points table, they are the only team which is still unbeaten after four games.
“Virat Kohli, as a skipper, never take things lightly. The way they have started their campaign and won four in four, they shouldn’t limit themselves.
“I remember when I was in Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) and when we went to South Africa in 2009. We experimented with a few things towards the end of the league phase as we had already won around 10 out of 12 games. So first, they should confirm their play-off qualification and try to finish in the top 2,” Nehra told Cricbuzz.
“RCB couldn’t have got a better start than this. Moreover, they have found several valuable players other than Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers in Devdutt Padikkal, Mohammed Siraj, Chahal and Washington Sundar. They should keep them in their core group.
“And this team has got the potential that we have seen in previous editions. The way they took off this season, let’s hope that they can end the things in a similar way,” he added.
RCB is one of only 3 teams, along with Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings, which is yet to win the IPL title. The Virat Kohli-led side will take on MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings in Match 19 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 25.
