Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) registered one of their most dominating victories in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as they cleaned up their opponents for paltry 59 runs. However, it the team's belief and investment in young talent that is paying off. On Sunday, Anuj Rawat paid back for RCB`s patience and confidence during his rocky start to this edition. Virat Kohli was seen joking around after the thumping victory over the Rajasthan Royals as he said, "If I had bowled, they would have been all out for 40."
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Dressing Room Reactions RR v RCB
A near-perfect game, 2 points in the bag, positive NRR - that sums up the satisfying victory in Jaipur.
Parnell, Siraj, Maxwell, Bracewell and Anuj take us through the events that transpired and the road ahead.#PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB #IPL2023 pic.twitter.com/cblwDrfVgd
— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) May 15, 2023
As all know, Kohli has rarely bowled in his career after numerous cricketers including himself made number of jokes on his bowling action.
Anuj Rawat silences his critics
Anuj Rawat`s performance with the bat and glove summarised how standing behind a player eventually pays off. Blistering 29 runs off 11 runs capped with a tremendous catch and run out that stood out in the match. (How Can MS Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings Qualify For Playoffs After Defeat Against Kolkata Knight Riders?)
Anuj Rawat`s daring shots helped RCB reach a massive total of 171, raising morale of the RCB dugout.
Having joined the RCB last season, the 23-year-old `keeper-batter endured a rocky start to the ongoing edition. However, RCB maintained their belief in his talent and finally it paid off with the batter scoring runs at a rapid pace in one of the most crucial stages of the tournament.
For Rawat, the innings did not come as a surprise, he had been anticipating it for a long time.
Speaking on the latest episode of the RCB GameDay, Anuj Rawat commented, "This is what I practised for before the season and I was very confident that I will do well if I played till the end. Definitely, there was pressure to go out and perform and so I am a little relieved now. We have two more games and are hoping that we will give our best."
After his stupendous performance with the bat, Anuj added feathers to his performance with a brilliant catch and a runout.
Describing the catch, he added, "Three of us called for it. Parney (Wayne Parnell) was claiming the catch, I saw Maxi (Glenn Maxwell) also running in, but eventually I went for it. As for the run out, it was my day and it went really well," stated Anuj.
Glenn Maxwell who played a crucial role in the RCB`s victory by scoring a quick-fire 50 was all praise for Anuj.
"I had a really nice partnership in the beginning with Faf which gave just enough platform for Anuj and Bracewell to finish off from there. This is exactly what we had been looking for, some sort of finishing touch. Anuj was fantastic today," commented Glenn Maxwell on GameDay.
RCB`s Director of Cricket Operations, Mike Hesson, also praised Rawat`s performance and revealed that he always believed in his talent.
He commented, "Anuj Rawat`s performance will certainly lift the morale of the team. His sublime hitting is always nice for the team. Anuj shuffled around a bit in the team, but we always knew he had the power, it`s great that he has been able to get the job done."
Meanwhile, RCB captain Faf Du Plessis felt the team didn`t have this sort of an innings in this IPL season. "It`s really important to play such innings for the team," he concluded. (With IANS inputs)
