Renowned Jamaican Olympic sprinter Yohan Blake lambasted Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for their bowling performance against the Mumbai Indians (MI), particularly Suryakumar Yadav. Led by Faf du Plessis, they suffered their fourth defeat in a row as MI chased down the 197-run target with more than four overs to spare.
Suryakumar was among the Mumbai players who stole the show at the Wankhede Stadium. Playing only his second match after a lengthy injury layoff, the right-handed batter slammed a 17-ball fifty with five fours and four sixes at a strike rate of 273.68.
RCB's bowling unit, comprising Mohammed Siraj, Reece Topley, Akash Deep, Vijaykumar Vyshak, and Will Jacks was no match for Suryakumar Yadav's prowess.
Fans and pundits criticized the RCB bowling unit after the heavy defeat, and Yohan Blake was also one of the critics.
The two-time Olympic gold medallist praised Suryakumar Yadav's bowling display but felt that the RCB bowlers could have at least tried better and made life a bit difficult for him at least.
"I know suryyakumar Yadav can really bat. But come on RCB that’s bad bowling. @RCBTweets @surya_14kumar," Yohan Blake posted on Twitter
Suryakumar Yadav was eventually dismissed by a full toss from Vijaykumar Vyshak, but it proved to be too late as the damage was already well beyond repair.
Yohan Blake is a huge fan of cricket
Hailing from the Caribbean, the sprinter is an avid follower of cricket. Inspired by the legendary West Indies bowling attack of old, Blake specialized in bowling and aspired to be a cricketer to represent the Men in Maroon.
His rapid run up to bowl as a pacer became the point of origin for his career as a track athlete. The 34-year-old still plays club cricket for the Kingston Cricket Club in the off-season. He even rang the bell at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground during the third Test between England and South Africa in 2012.
Yohan Blake's frustration over RCB's bowling display makes a whole lot of sense as he supports the franchise in the IPL.
“I have two more years left in track and field, and then its cricket for me. But, I do not wish to play for the West Indies. I would love to feature in franchise cricket; I would even love to own a franchise in India. And most importantly, play for either KKR or RCB," Blake had said in the past.
RCB also acknowledged the sprinter's desire and posted a response on their social media accounts.
"We heard you're interested, @YohanBlake. If you bowl as fast as you run, you already have a place reserved in our team," RCB posted in 2019.
RCB are looking for a major turnaround after winning only one out of their first six matches. The three-time finalists are scheduled to face the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Monday, April 14.
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