"Let Faf take more risk, preserve your wicket.."- Virat Kohli's best friend gives him a unique advise

Former Proteas skipper AB de Villiers made an interesting comment regarding Virat Kohli’s batting style in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. AB de Villiers advocated for a change in Virat Kohli’s batting approach, considering his crucial role in the RCB lineup.

The Bengaluru-based franchise has had a disappointing start in the ongoing season, securing just one victory out of four matches. The RCB team currently sits third from the bottom in the table, with two points to their tally and a net run rate (NRR) of -0.876.

They suffered a loss to defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK), followed by a victory against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their first home game. They then suffered losses to the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at home.

Virat Kohli emerges as RCB’s standout player in the IPL 2024. He is leading the run-scoring charts and the orange cap holder. The former RCB skipper has amassed 203 runs at an impressive average of nearly 68 and a striking rate of 140.97, including two half-centuries.

Besides Kohli, no other RCB player has scored over 100 runs this season. Key batters like Faf du Plessis, Cameron Green, Rajat Patidar, and Glenn Maxwell have all struggled to make an impact in any of the matches so far.

Virat Kohli Keeps Going With His Good Start – AB de Villiers

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, AB de Villiers emphasized the importance of Virat Kohli batting through the middle overs to provide stability. He suggested that Faf du Plessis should take more risks in the initial overs and urged Kohli to anchor the innings.

“Hopefully, he keeps going with his good start, because RCB need that glue in the middle overs. We need him to get through the first six (overs), that’s ultimately how I want to see him play. Let Faf take more risk upfront, but Virat, I want you to be there over 6-15. That’s when RCB is going to fire from all cylinders. Watch out for that,” de Villiers said.

The Faf Du Plessis-led team faces an uphill battle to secure a playoff berth in the 2024 IPL. The Bengaluru-based franchise needs to secure wins in the upcoming away matches before returning to their home ground, Garden City.

Not A Bad Start But Not Great – AB de Villiers

AB de Villiers expressed optimism about their future as they embark on away games. He described RCB’s start as “not bad but not great,” emphasizing the need for a couple of wins to improve their position.

“RCB… not a bad start but not great. It’s in the middle, and they need a couple of wins. They will be hitting the road and hopefully, they find a good fortune away from home before they come back to the Chinnaswamy,” de Villiers added.

RCB faces away matches against the Rajasthan Royals on April 6 and the Mumbai Indians on April 11, followed by a home game against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 15. These matches are crucial for RCB to secure a spot in the playoffs of the tournament.

Also read: Tom Moody brutally slams Virat Kohli’s RCB after their poor run continues in IPL 2024