Mohammed Siraj’s self-belief and never-say-die attitude is his real strength: Sunil Gavaskar

Former England cricketer Paul Collingwood discussed RCB's performance against Gujarat Titans in IPL 2024, particularly highlighting Virat Kohli's contribution. Kohli looked intent on scoring quickly in a small chase of 148 after the RCB bowlers wreaked havoc at the Chinnaswamy Stadium to give the visiting unit a tough time. 

Kohli joined hands with Faf du Plessis for an attacking 92-run alliance in the powerplay before his partner was dismissed for a 22-ball 64. Kohli struck four sixes and two fours before perishing to Noor Ahmed for 42 off 27 in the 11^th over.

“I believe tonight's performance was as impressive as any RCB fan could have wished for. The intensity displayed by RCB with the ball was commendable. Even while chasing a modest total, seeing Virat Kohli stepping out of his crease and effortlessly flicking a delivery for six on just the second ball indicated their aggressive intent. This signals danger for their opponents. Despite their position near the bottom of the table, RCB didn't hold back tonight. They showed clarity, bravery, and aggression, particularly in the middle order. Although they lost wickets, I commend their aggressive approach. In a bid to improve their net run rate, they unselfishly took on the opposition, which was fantastic to watch,” Collingwood told Star Sports.

Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar shared his thoughts on Mohammed Siraj and his performance. The nippy pacer exploited the conditions to his full advantage scalping two wickets in a disciplined outing in which he conceded only 29 runs.

“Every time you see Mohammed Siraj, you know that he's going to give his heart out. Remember the time when his father passed away when he was in Australia. He carried on. A lot of people would want to go back because your parents are so dear to you. They've brought you up and they've given you everything. But I think he realised that playing for India was important. Also, he was not established at that stage. An established player would 100% have gone back. When you're not established, and you're looking to get your place in the team, you stick around. And that's what he did,” said Gavaskar.

“And remember how spectacularly he bowled in that Gabba Test match. Getting somebody like Steve Smith out when he was on 55 because getting Steve Smith out when he's just coming to bat is one thing, but when he is set and then getting him out is another thing. So, this is the real strength of Mohammed Siraj, the self-belief and the never-say-die attitude on the field,” he added.

Also read: 'I thought I wouldn't be able to play' - Mohammed Siraj makes startling revelation after RCB's annihilation of GT

Former Australia cricketer Aaron Finch shared his thoughts on du Plessis’s batting performance, commending his intent in trying to finish the game quickly to get his team a net run-rate boost.

“In a small run chase all it takes is one or two overs to really break the back of the innings. Faf did that from ball one when he was on song. RCB was acutely aware of their net run rate, crucial for their chances in the final four. They understood the importance of chasing the target swiftly. Despite some unselfish batting in the middle overs, they aimed to accelerate the chase as much as possible. The brilliant start provided by Faf and Virat Kohli set the tone for their innings.”

Former Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden talked about on RCB's batting performance. “Extraordinary stuff during the power play when RCB was batting. It was just game on, and then all of a sudden things changed. Were they trying to counter the net run rate solution? And if that is the case, then well played to them because they needed to go hard. So they lost those three wickets to Joshua Little straight away in that middle stage of the match. And then they were able to consolidate because, simply as you heard Faf at the presentation say, anything short of 180, even 190 on this high-scoring venue, was never going to be enough runs. And that's what exactly happened.”