'I was inaccurate in my choice of words' - Ian Bishop apologizes to fan for praising Virat Kohli after his half century against RR
RCB suffered a third consecutive defeat, losing by a six-wicket margin against RR.
Ian Bishop, the former West Indies pacer, sparked controversy with his on-air comments regarding Virat Kohli during the IPL 2024 clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Saturday, April 6. Notably, Kohli faced criticism for his relatively slow strike rate despite scoring a ton. The 35-year-old reached the three-figure mark in 67 balls and ended with an unbeaten 113 off 72 balls, with a strike rate of 156.94.
Bishop, who was commentating, praised the former RCB captain for scoring a fifty off 39 balls. However, his praise faced backlash from fans on social media as they pointed out that achieving a half-century in 39 balls in a T20 match, particularly on a batting-friendly pitch, was deemed below par.
A fan wrote on X," @irbishi said just 39 deliveries. After virat completed his 50 someone needs to tell him ipl is a 20 over tournament not 50 I know they are paying you to praise big players but still call what it is 39 ball 50 on a batting track is a joke."
Also read: IPL 2024: RCB's Virat Kohli equals unwanted record amid classy century against RR
Meanwhile, Bishop responded by admitting his oversight, stating his choice of words was inaccurate while also appreciating the feedback.
"Believe you me, I am very aware of what batting in this format entails. I was inaccurate in my choice of words. That’s on me. I am not the devil,,,,,,not yet??. But thanks for your feedback. It's appreciated," he said in his reply.
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Jos Buttler's ton powers RR to fourth consecutive win in IPL 2024
Speaking of the clash between Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Sanju Samson won the toss and invited the visitors to bat first. Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis made a solid start for their side, stitching a 125-run partnership for the opening wicket. The RCB skipper fell for 44 runs while Kohli went on to lead the charge and scored a fine century, allowing them to set a challenging 184-run target.
RR also made a flying start during the chase, despite losing the wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal in the first over itself. Jos Buttler and Samson led the charge, adding 148 runs for the second wicket. The RR captain was dismissed by Mohammed Siraj after a stunning 42-ball 69 runs. Meanwhile, Buttler smashed a maximum, bringing a sensational ton and thereby allowing RR to register their fourth successive win.
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