NEWS
Follow UsYuzvendra Chahal had yet another off day, this time against Punjab Kings (PBKS), in which he conceded 34 runs from his four overs, picking up just one wicket. The leg-spinner has picked up just four wickets in seven matches in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 so far, but RCB head coach Simon Katich has come out in support of Chahal, saying that his place in the XI is not in any sort of jeopardy.
"We won't say his spot is under the scanner. Obviously, their spinners bowled a much better length than we did. I guess how the wicket played, it got slower and slower and they assessed it well and bowled a very good length," Katich explained after his side lost to Punjab Kings by 34 runs.
"We were off our lengths a little bit. Yuzi fought back well but got off to a slow start in that first over, it's never easy to play catch up when you have been hit in your first over. I thought Shahbaz (Ahmed) bowled well in trying to claw things back but in the end but 180 was too many on that wicket," he added.
Both of RCB's losses this season have been huge ones and Katich admits that the fact that the net run-rate has taken a beating is a huge concern. They lost to CSK by 69 runs a week ago and now have succumbed to a 34-run loss against PBKS.
"We were off our lengths a little bit. Yuzi fought back well but got off to a slow start in that first over, it's never easy to play catch up when you have been hit in your first over. I thougt Shahbaz (Ahmed) bowled well in trying to claw things back but in the end but 180 was too many on that wicket," he said.
Speaking of KL Rahul, who scored an unbeaten 91 off 57 balls - Katich said, "Obviously, KL Rahul was outstanding, marshaling them to a 180 score which in the end on that track was well over par. The wicket (that was) given was used for the second time. It was used last night as well."
RCB will look to getting back to winning ways when they take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Monday (May 3) at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
