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As the Indian Premier League (IPL) season inches closer to the playoffs, conversations around key performers and team strategies are heating up. With certain players stepping up at crucial moments, the buzz around individual contributions has reached a peak — especially in a team like Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), where one seasoned campaigner continues to silence his doubters in style.
AB de Villiers names star batter as ‘Mr. Safety’ of RCB
Former South African legend and RCB great AB de Villiers has come out in strong support of Virat Kohli, labelling him as “Mr. Safety” for the franchise. The IPL veteran didn’t hold back while defending Kohli’s approach and lashed out at critics who have questioned the batter’s strike rate in recent matches.
“Virat is always there. He is Mr. Safety for RCB,” said De Villiers in a video shared on Instagram.
“When he is there, you don’t have to fear. Never fear when Virat is near. That is the story,” he added.
Also READ: Virat Kohli credits former South African star for shaping his early RCB career
De Villiers slams critics for strike-rate doubts
Continuing in the same breath, De Villiers took a cheeky dig at the media for past criticism directed at Kohli’s scoring rate. Referring to Kohli’s blistering knock against Chennai Super Kings, where he smashed 62 off just 33 balls at a strike rate nearing 200, he said:
“To all my journalist friends out there, I love you guys. But remember when you said Virat bats too slow, right? Virat is there batting at almost a 200 strike rate last night. Eat that.”
Kohli is currently enjoying a sensational season with the bat. The RCB opener has racked up 505 runs in 11 innings, averaging 63.12 with a healthy strike rate of 143.46. His composed starts and aggressive finishes have played a major role in RCB’s campaign, with the team sitting firmly at the top of the table with 16 points.
In their recent clash against CSK, Kohli’s explosive innings set the tone for a commanding total of 213/5. With clutch bowling at the death, RCB edged out CSK by two wickets in a thriller — a win that solidified their position as serious title contenders.
