IPL 2023: ‘Tough pill to swallow’, says AB de Villiers on RCB’s loss to GT

Former Royal Challengers Bangalore star AB de Villiers said the side’s loss to Gujarat Titans six wickets at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday is a “tough pill to swallow”. The loss meant that the hosts could not qualify for the playoffs in the ongoing Indian Premier League 2023 season.
De Villiers on his Twitter wrote, “Tough pill to swallow. Well tried RCB. Shubman Gill and the Titans simply too good today.” The 39-year-old also appreciated the ton of Virat Kohli as he further wrote “Virat is there when we need him!”
Despite the ton from Kohli RCB could not get over the line as Shubman Gill slammed a sparkling century. The result paved the way for Mumbai Indians’ entry into the playoffs as the fourth team. Kohli scored his seventh IPL century.

Tough pill to swallow. Well tried RCB. Shubman Gill and the Titans simply too good today
— AB de Villiers (@ABdeVilliers17) May 21, 2023
However, GT dashed RCB’s hopes reaching the target in 19.1 overs. For GT, the in-form remained unbeaten on a 52-ball 104, while Vijay Shankar made 53 in 35 in the rain-delayed match.
Asked to bat first, RCB were off to a brisk start with both Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli finding the boundaries at will. This was Kohli’s second straight hundred.

Virat is there when we need him!
— AB de Villiers (@ABdeVilliers17) May 21, 2023
“I can’t ask anything better from the boys. Last year, everything went well for us. We were expecting people to challenge us. The boys showed tremendous character.” Du Plessis couldn’t hide his disappointment after the defeat.

“Virat played an unbelievable knock to give us a chance and thought that was a good score, but Shubman played incredibly well to take the game away from us.” Dinesh Karthik’s woeful run with bat really hampered RCB’s prospects this season and on that, Du Plessis said, “Last year DK had a purple patch and was finishing games left, right and centre, but this season it wasn’t to be.