IPL 2021: Sunil Gavaskar, Steyn not happy with AB de Villiers batting at six for RCB

RCB has had an impressive run in IPL 2021. In the Indian leg of the IPL, the team exuded its dominance and continued their good form in the second half of the tournament as well. The team has qualified for the playoffs but what intrigued the on-lookers and the experts recently is RCB demoting AB de Villiers down the order.

In RCB’s previous match against SRH, the South African batter was sent to bat at number 6. Australia all-rounder Dan Christian was promoted to number three with the keeper-batter KS Bharat coming at No.4. The decision to send AB de Villiers quite down the order did not go well with the fans and the cricketing fraternity. After losing the last-ball thriller, RCB ended their hopes of making it to the top two.

The legendary India cricketer and commentator Sunil Gavaskar and South Africa’s Dale Steyn have thus criticized this move of RCB. The former wasn’t quite convinced with sending the other batters ahead of the Proteas swashbuckler. Steyn, on the other hand, pointed that AB de Villiers should be given more balls to settle down and then play his usual game.

Gavaskar and Steyn react to RCB’s move to send AB de Villiers lower down the order  

“Personally, I just think that’s criminal. You look at this leg, not many of the death overs have gone for big runs. So expecting AB to go out there and create those kind of miracles is a tall ask. Especially when it hasn’t been happening a lot, the wickets haven’t been that helpful. He is one of the best in the world, let him bat. I know they have qualified but the man has to bat. He can’t be facing just 13 balls, that is just criminal,” Steyn said on Star Sports.

Gavaskar also felt Bharat batting ahead of De Villiers wasn’t a good move from RCB. While he lauded Bharat for his skills, he wasn’t happy with De Villiers batting at six at all. “Not just because he will be contributing more but simply because he is so good to watch. Such a wonderful, innovative player, Mr. 360 we call him. You have Bharat batting at three or four?

“Come on. With the greatest respect, he is a promising young cricketer, this is his first time on the big stage. So far it has worked but like I said earlier on in the show as well, how can you have AB de Villiers batting at No.6. He has to bat at four or a maximum of five. Glenn Maxwell with the kind of form he is in, comes in at four, De Villiers at five,” Gavaskar said.