AB de Villiers livid with Shikhar Dhawan's ‘big mistake’ with Kagiso Rabada in PBKS' loss to RCB in IPL 2024

AB de Villiers “did not agree at all” with Shikhar Dhawan's decision of bowling out Kagiso Rababad before the 15th over against RCB in an IPL 2024 match.

Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers was livid with Punjab Kings captain Shikhar Dhawan's tactics of not keeping a single over of Kagiso Rabda for the backend of the innings in an IPL 2024 match against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Monday. Defending 176 for victory, PBKS got off to a great start with Rabada removing RCB captain Faf du Plessis and Cameron Green with the new ball. If Jonny Bairstow had held on to the catch then Rabada could have gotten Virat Kohli early too.

Punjab Kings' Kagiso Rabada with teammates celebrates the wicket of Royal Challengers Bengaluru batter Faf du Plessis(PTI)

After the initial blip, Kohli got into the act and started playing some breathtaking strokes to bring RCB's chase back on track. The legendary batter kept RCB in the hunt despite wickets falling at the other end, this time due to left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar. Seeing Kohli going all guns blazing, Dhawan took a brave call. He threw the ball to ace bowler Rabada and decided to bowl him out as early as the 14th over of the match.

The gamble didn't pay off. Rabada could not get another wicket and finished with 2/23. This was the first time in the history of IPL that the South African speedster finished his quota before the 15th over. Although Rabada doesn't have an outstanding record in the slog overs keeping an over of the right-arm pacer may have helped PBKS.

As it turned out, Sam Curran, Harshal Patel, and Arshdeep Singh failed to curtail the runs despite Kohli (77) and Anuj Rawat's dismissals. Dinesh Karthik (28* off 10) and Mahipal Lomror (17* off 8) displayed some superb hitting skills to knock off 48 runs in just 18 balls to take RCB to their first win of the 17th season.

Why did Dhawan bowl Rabada out before the 15th over?

De Villiers said it was a big mistake not to keep Rabada for the death overs. "I wasn't at the comms at the time but the moment this happened, I thought yeah it was a mistake. I didn't agree with the decision at all. RCB were going well so you knew this match would go to the end and KG was needed there," de Villiers said in the post-match show in Jio Cinema.

Legendary India cricketer and former PBKS coach, Anil Kumble said if leg-spinner Rahul Chahar had bowled well then Dhawan would have exhausted Rabada's overs before the 15th over. "Maybe if Rahul had bowled well, Punjab could have kept Rabada for the death overs," Kumble said.

Chahar was taken for 16 runs by Kohli and Rajat Patidar in the only over that he bowled in the match.

Both PBKS and RCB now have two points after playing two matches.