Even though Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Mumbai Indians in a shocking way, AB de Villiers still thinks Gujarat Titans are the favorites to win IPL 2023. The legendary cricketer did say, though, that he really wanted Faf du Plessis’s team to win their first title in the tournament, but he wasn’t ready to change his mind right now.
The 39-year-old also said that RCB had a very balanced team and enough firepower to go the distance.
“At the IPL auction a long time ago, I said that the Gujarat Titans would win back-to-back. Even though I really want RCB to win, I’m going to stick to that. I’ve thought since last year that they have a really good, well-balanced team. They are strong enough. When asked about who might win, AB de Villiers said, “I hope RCB goes all the way.”
I think Virat was able to relax more last season because he didn’t have to be captain.
In the first game against MI, Virat Kohli was at his most careful. The 34-year-old hit 82* runs off 49 balls, and RCB beat the team led by Rohit Sharma by eight wickets because of his great innings.
When de Villiers talked about Kohli’s performance, he said that he had never seen Kohli laugh so much in an interview and that he thought that letting go of the captaincy had helped him relax and play well.
“I haven’t seen much change; things are still the same. He has a good balance at the crease, and his technique looks good. He is still that “busy” player at the wicket who has a lot of energy. I just think that he has looked really good this season. I have seen him laugh more than ever in some of his interviews.
Last season, when he gave up being captain, it helped him relax a lot. He was a great captain, but he was in charge of both international and IPL teams for a long time, which can be scary. You never have time to relax, hang out with family, or have fun with friends. “I think that’s his motto for this season: just go out and have fun and keep smiling,” de Villiers was quoted as saying by NDTV.
India
