Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper Virat Kohli praised pacemaker Mohammed Siraj for making a good comeback, after a difficult season the previous year. Siraj received much criticism after awarding many races in the last edition. The inclusion of the Indian cricketer in RCB’s lineup for the 2020 IPL league clash against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Wednesday generated a lot of memes. However, Siraj had a suitable answer reserved for such critics, as he chose three wickets and conceded only eight runs during his four-overs bowling period. The 26-year-old represented the vital layoffs of Rahul Tripathi, Nitish Rana and Tom Banton, going down in script history during the course of his spell. Siraj became the first bowler to deliver two maiden overs in an IPL match, with KKR ultimately restricted to a paltry score of 84 runs.
“Last year Siraj had a difficult year and a lot of people were hard on him. This year he has worked hard and was playing well in the networks. Now he has seen the results, but we want him to continue to follow the process,” he said. Kohli during the post-game conference when asked to speak about his pacemaker performance.
The RCB captain further admitted that the decision to hand Siraj the new ball was a late decision, with Washington Sundar as the initial pick for the role.
“I was thinking of Washy for the new ball. It was a good pitch to lose because we would have hit first. The plan was to pitch Washy and Morry, but then we thought we’d go Morris and Siraj,” he added.
Kohli further praised Chris Morris, who has been economical and has taken up wickets since he came into the side, after missing the start of the tournament with injury.
“Morry is taking responsibility. He’s the guy who likes to take the leadership role. His energy is incredible. He can contribute with the bat, the ball and on the field,” Kohli said of the South African all-rounder.
Kohli also said that management has played a crucial role in the team’s performance this season.
“The leadership has been established in a culture where there is proper planning. It is not random,” said the RCB boss.
“We have a Plan A, we have a Plan B, we have a Plan C. We are here to execute the plans that we have. We also did some things in the auction, which is paying off,” he added.
However, Kohli was also quick to point out that the team had faith in their abilities this year and that has also been a big reason why they are near the top of the table.
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“You can have all the plans, but you have to have faith,” Kohli said.
RCB chased the 85-run goal in 13.3 overs, with starter Devdutt Padikkal (25) emerging as the leading run scorer.
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