IPL 2025: ‘Angry’ AB de Villiers slams commentators for spreading negativity against RCB

Former RCB star AB de Villiers slammed IPL commentators for negative remarks on RCB's bowling vs LSG, saying they ignored the batting-friendly pitch and stuck to old narratives about RCB's struggles instead of analyzing the match objectively.

Former South Africa and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) star batter AB de Villiers expressed his anger over negative comments being spread against the franchise in the ongoing IPL season.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru secured the spot for the playoffs as they finished second on the points table after defeating Lucknow Super Giants in their final league stage fixture. With a mammoth target of 228, RCB chased it down with 8 balls to spare. Stand-in skipper Jitesh Sharma was the star performer for Bengaluru as he played a phenomenal unbeaten knock of

85 off 33 balls, including 8 fours and 6 sixes, at an impressive strike rate of 257.58.

Jitesh formed a crucial unbeaten 107-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Mayank Agarwal, who played a vital innings of 41 off 23 balls. Apart from Jitesh and Mayank, Virat Kohli also contributed with an innings of 54 off 30 balls.

AB de Villiers lambasts IPL commentators against RCB

Speaking on his YouTube channel, AB de Villiers expressed his shock and disappointment over IPL commentators’ negative comments against RCB bowlers, as they were tormented by LSG skipper Rishabh Pant. He believed that the commentators were criticizing the RCB bowlers without understanding the conditions on offer.

"I listened to the commentators last night, and honestly, it got me so angry. "They were so negative when we were bowling. They kept saying, 'RCB's bowling is under pressure. They don't look like they're going to manage it. Once again, an in-form team is starting to lose momentum,” a former RCB batter said.

“But what about this- maybe it was just a really good batting wicket, guys? To all you very clever and sharp commentators out there, how about considering the possibility that it was an excellent surface for batting?" he added.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's bowling attack conceded 227 runs in 20 overs, with Rishabh Pant taking them to the cleaners and playing a brilliant knock of 118 off 61 balls. Nuwan Thusara was the economical bowler for the side, picking one wicket while conceding just 26 runs in four overs. While other bowlers, including Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, and Romario Shepherd, conceded over 40 runs in their spells.

‘Commentators get fixated on a narrative’: AB de Villiers

AB de Villiers further added that the IPL commentators often get obsessed with the narrative, given that the Royal Challengers Bengaluru have not won an IPL title since the first season of the tournament in 2008. The former South African captain pointed out that the commentators failed to analyse the match situation objectively.

“They went on about how RCB's bowling unit was once again in poor form. As I watched the match, I thought: sometimes commentators get fixated on a narrative,” de Villiers said.

“Yes, RCB have never won a title, but it's lazy to keep saying, 'Here we go again. The bowlers are failing, they're useless,' without properly analysing what's happening on the field. Rishabh Pant is not going to score 118 off 60-odd balls on a tricky, very difficult pitch. All the LSG batters were fluent out there.

“Yes, there was some poor bowling at times. But ultimately, one must look at the bigger picture- 227 runs on a wicket that typically doesn't support such batting suggests it was simply a very good surface. RCB were still in the contest; they weren't blown away, and they proved that," he added.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru are one of the three original teams, alongside Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals, to have not won an IPL title since the tournament’s first season in 2008. Meanwhile, RCB will aim for direct qualification to the final when they take on Punjab Kings in the Qualifier 1 in Mullanpur on Thursday, May 29.