Among the countless loyal fans of Royal Challengers Bengaluru stands the South African cricket legend AB de Villiers, who expressed his pain of loss, but with a sense of pride after Faf du Plessis' side lost the IPL 2024 eliminator match against Sanju Samson-led Rajasthan Royals by 4 wickets on May 22, Wednesday. (Full Coverage | More Cricket News)
Adding another chapter of sadness to their 17-year-long quest for a trophy, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru ended their dream run on Wednesday night at the Narendra Modi Stadium against the same team that handed them the playoff defeat back in 2022, as well.
Adding another chapter of sadness to their 17-year-long quest for a trophy, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru ended their dream run on Wednesday night at the Narendra Modi Stadium against the same team that handed them the playoff defeat back in 2022, as well.
The team featuring India's hero Virat Kohli was coming on the back of 6 winning streaks, rising from tenth to fourth place in the points table. They defeated Chennai Super Kings in the last league match by 27 runs to enter the playoffs. It was a beautiful journey, rooted in the mere 1% chance that turned out to be 99% but eventually was followed by the same fate - defeat.
AB de Villiers who has suffered the same heart-break playing with RCB for 10 years shared his sentiments via social media. He said on X, 'It’s always painful to lose. But as a fan, I’m proud of the boys for making us believe, even when all hope seemed lost at the start of May. I’m sure RCB will come back stronger next year and bring home that elusive title.'
Villiers is the former South African International cricketer and has been the face of RCB's franchise for the better part of the last decade. His batting, his catches, his innings, the wicket-keeping skills, everything was nothing short of exemplary. It was under his and Kohli's guidance that RCB reached the summit clash in 2016. The 40-year-old announced his retirement from all competitions in 2021 ending his IPL career with a strike rate of 151.69 and an average of 39.71, scoring 5,162 runs in 184 matches.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru has yet to lift the coveted IPL trophy for the first time. Their first appearance as the runners-up came out in the second year of the league's inauguration in 2009. The feat was achieved again in 2016. Virat Kohli's team entered the playoffs on nine occasions, but always faced the slap of defeat at the end despite their valiant efforts.
