IPL: AB de Villiers sees room to improve after Bangalore batter Gujarat

“I hate facing dot balls in T20s, and I’m disappointed with the ones today [nine against left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja],” De Villiers said after Bangalore crushed joint table-toppers Gujarat by an IPL record 144 runs.

Royal Challengers of Bangalore batsman AB de Villiers, right, hits a six while Gujarat Lions wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik looks on during the 2016 Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 cricket match at The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on May 14, 2016. AFP / MANJUNATH KIRAN

The National staff

May 14, 2016

Royal Challengers Bangalore 248 for 3 (De Villiers 129*, Kohli 109)

Gujarat Lions 104 (Jordan 4-11, Chahal 3-19)

Banglaore beat Gujarat by 144 runs.

AB de Villiers hit 12 sixes and 10 fours on his way to an eye-popping 129 not out from just 52 deliveries against Gujarat Lions on Saturday night, but the Royal Challengers Bangalore batsman still found room for improvement for the next Indian Premier League (IPL) game.

“I hate facing dot balls in T20s, and I’m disappointed with the ones today [nine against left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja],” he said after the home team crushed joint table-toppers Gujarat by an IPL record 144 runs.

De Villiers put on a 229-run stand for the second wicket with captain Virat Kohli – who scored a 55-ball 109, studded with eight sixes and five boundaries – yet the South African fancied being able to improve on his effort.

“Jaddu bowled very well today. [But] I’m really angry for facing those dot balls today!” he said.

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Gujarat captain Brendon McCullum must have thought his decision to give Bangalore’s batters first crack at the wicket was spot-on after Chris Gayle was dismissed for a 13-ball six. But the Royal Challengers made him pay thereafter, racking up 248 for three in their 20 overs.

In response, the Lions were bundled out for just 104 as pacer Chris Jordan took four for 11.

McCullum, who scored 158 for Kolkata Knight Riders against Bangalore in the first ever IPL game in 2008, lauded De Villiers and Kohli for “the two best innings in T20s”. He, however, expected his team to rebound and qualify for the play-offs.

“We’ll try to dust this off and flush this down and come back stronger,” McCullum said.

Incredibly, even as both sides saw their net run-rates change drastically after the game, their spots in the table – Gujarat first and Bangalore sixth – remained exactly the same.

The latter, though, would have done their play-off bid a world of good with Saturday’s win.

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