Indian captain, MS Dhoni faced off against his deputy, Virat Kohli in Friday's Indian Premier League (IPL) fixture at the MCA Stadium in Pune. Kohli once again lost the toss and was put into bat first by Dhoni.
It was yet another masterclass batting performance from the batting duo of AB de Villiers and Kohli as they were involved in a partnership of 155 for the second wicket, thus helping the Royal Challengers Bangalore to a total of 185.
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Pune got off to a slow start after losing early wickets. Ajinkya Rahane and MS Dhoni helped lay a foundation, however, it ended up being too much to chase down despite Thisara Perera's late cameo.
Rising Pune SuperGiants captain, MS Dhoni:
“We lost three wickets for nothing. Faf got out, then KP got injured, and Steven Smith got run-out. It was a par-plus score. With three batsmen back in, I thought it was difficult to achieve. But I'm happy with the way we came close. KP's injury can be a blessing in disguise. We're playing with six bowlers, yet our death bowling isn't great.
“Maybe we can look to bring in Albie Morkel or Mitch Marsh in the next game. With the kind of players we've got, it has always been difficult to drop someone. We need to strengthen our bowling line a bit. I feel overall with less pressure and a few more games, M Ashwin will get better.
“Not really fussed with these results. I personally feel, we have to improve in all three departments. We have to admit there are a few slow fielders in the team, but as long as they are safe fielders and take their catches, I can't ask for more.”
Royal Challengers Bangalore captain, Virat Kohli:
“That was closer than we thought it would be at one stage, but good to cross the line. We were playing good cricket, it just needed composure at the right moments. But I'd like to win the toss next time! Watson showed his experience, and Kane to finish off things was quite good. It was good to see the guys not panic.
“We spoke about 175-180, but I wasn't happy with myself, the way I batted after 30-35 balls, but I figured out it was important to stay in with AB. He kept me going and told me to play the anchor role, so that he could play his shots. The surface didn't have that much bounce to hit shots at will. AB is the best batsmen in our generation.
“It's a pleasure to bat alongside him. The way he communicates, he's a selfless person. He doesn't care about his own plans, but help people around him. He's a better human being than a batsman. Shamsi came in a bowled really well. One guy got out of the plane and knocked us out of the T20 World Cup. So, I told him you get off the plane and knock them out. He bowled really well. Rajkot should help us better.”
Man-of-the-match, AB de Villiers:
“It wasn't easy to get going. I maybe got away with a couple of easy boundaries. Both my sweeps didn't come off the middle, but went for six. But generally, I'm pleased with my performance. Their batting line-up was all class. Dhoni and Rahane took it deep, and we knew Thisara would keep us on our toes. He was striking it well. Happy that we crossed the line though.”
Indian commentator, Harsha Bhogle:
Former West Indies cricketer, Ian Bishop:
Indian commentator, Aakash Chopra:
Former England women's cricketer, Isa Guha:
England cricketer, Liam Dawson:
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