May 30, IPL 2025: AB de Villiers is very happy with Royal Challengers Bangalore reaching the final of IPL 2025. He has praised Virat Kohli and this team fiercely. RCB made it to the final by defeating Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1 on Thursday. South African great batsman de Villiers believes that team man Kohli will play a big role in the final and will play an important role in giving RCB their first title in the world’s biggest T20 league.
Kohli could score only 12 runs in Qualifier-1
Kohli, one of the best performers for the team in the current season, could contribute only 12 runs with the bat in this one-sided match. However, his former RCB teammate de Villiers is confident that this Indian superstar will make a splash in the title match to be held in Ahmedabad on June 3. de Villiers said, ‘I saw him on the screen when he got off the bus before this match. His body language looked positive at that time. This is something we have become accustomed to. He could not score runs in this match, but still we saw him celebrating with the batsmen till the end.’
De Villiers said this about Kohli
He said, ‘He is a completely dedicated player for the team. Concentration was visible in his game. Obviously the work is not done yet and I am very excited to see him play. I have no doubt that he will perform strongly in the final.’ RCB is one of the teams playing in the IPL since its inception in 2008 with eight franchises. This team has never won the title despite reaching the final on three occasions in the past.
‘Let’s forget the past, focus on the present’
De Villiers said, ‘I think this team had a very good chance to win the 2011 title. Everyone talks about the 2016 season, but let’s forget the past. Where is RCB now? In another final (2025). It’s closer than you think. Hopefully, the small moments of the match will go in RCB’s favour on June 3. I felt during the auction itself that RCB has struck the right balance this year. There is a lot of variety in the team’s batting and bowling.
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