Albie Morkel Recalls Hitting Virat Kohli for 28 Runs in an Over During IPL 2013, Says ‘He Shouldn’t Have Bowled That Over’
While talking Rupha Ramani in a YouTube chat for CSK, Morkel recalled the match. “Look, that’s one of those evenings... once again we were out of the game. RCB had the game in their bag... I had no idea why they bowled Virat. All respect to him, he shouldn’t have bowled that over anyway. We lost a wicket in the last ball of the 18th over,” said the southpaw.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challenger Bangalore (RCB) have played several thrilling matches over the years which went right down to the wire. One of them came during the 2012 edition of the Indian Premier League, where MS Dhoni and Men stunned RCB to register a five-wicket victory. Chasing 206 for victory, the Men in Yellow required 43 from the last two overs and the game looked done and dusted. However, the then RCB captain Daniel Vettori asked Virat Kohli to bowl the penultimate over. The decision didn’t prove to be wise as South African all-rounder Albie Morkel smashed Kohli for 28 runs and helped his side cross the line. CSK Brings Back Memories of MS Dhoni’s Long-Hair Days, Shares Skipper’s Old Pic.
While talking Rupha Ramani in a YouTube chat for CSK, Morkel recalled the match and said that Kohli really shouldn’t have bowled that over. “Look, that’s one of those evenings... once again we were out of the game. RCB had the game in their bag... I had no idea why they bowled Virat. All respect to him, he shouldn’t have bowled that over anyway. We lost a wicket in the last ball of the 18th over,” said the southpaw.
The 38-year old also said that the task looked impossible in the first sight. However, he got some hope when he saw Kohli holding the ball. “The 19th and 20 were left. We needed 42 (43) off 2. I walked in at No. 7. You look at the scoreboard and you’re like ‘oh no, 40-odd off 2, that’s impossible. You walk in and then you see Virat’s bowling then I thought ‘if I can connect a few, maybe we can get close’,” Morkel added.
Morkel scored 28 runs off mere 7 balls in the game and riding of his cameo, CSK won the game in the last ball of their innings. “I think I edged the 1st one for 4 that just missed my stumps. I edge another one just went over the short third man. I started hitting it straight and we eventually got 28 and ended up winning the match with Bravo hitting a couple in the next over.”
The former South African all-rounder also called the game special as he was able to turn the game on its head. We somehow find ways to beat them like that. We will be out of the game completely and come from nowhere to beat them. It’s a very special game to be part of. That moment lasted about 15 minutes in my career. It is magical to look back at. I remember the vibe at the ground,” he concluded.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 09, 2020 09:29 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).