AB de Villiers, the ex-South Africa captain, has come out hard against a section of pundits who slammed Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) bowling in their IPL 2025 match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Tuesday, May 27. De Villers said the commentators had been too critical and mocked RCB's bowling lineup without considering the pitch report of the Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Stadium. He spoke about it in his monthly show, ABD 360, and asserted that if the pitch truly was as challenging as asserted by the commentators in the first innings, Rishabh Pant would not have been able to post 118 runs from 61 deliveries. In the game, RCB conceded 227 runs batting first. They required a victory to achieve a top-two league standing for the first time in nine seasons. Jitesh Sharma, the acting captain of RCB, won the toss and decided to bowl first. However, he erred in his strategies a bit. LSG opener Mitchell Marsh and Rishabh Pant made full use and supported their team to register their highest score at home. Pant, who had fought in the early part of the season, hit eight sixes and eleven fours as he scored his first IPL hundred in seven years. The Ekana Stadium pitch was more batting-friendly than average, and both sides liked the conditions. RCB created history by pursuing the 228-run target in 18.4 overs. Jitesh Sharma struck an incredible 85* off 33 balls, and Virat Kohli contributed 54 off 30 balls. They ensured two crucial points and a Qualifier 1 spot for RCB. Also Read | 'Main Selector Nahi Hun' - Gambhir on Shreyas Iyer’s Exclusion AB de Villiers said: "I listened to the commentators last night, and honestly, it got me so angry. They were so negative when we were bowling. They kept saying, 'RCB's bowling is under pressure. They don't look like they're going to manage it. Once again, an in-form team is starting to lose momentum.' But what about this-maybe it was just a really good batting wicket, guys? To all you very clever and sharp commentators out there, how about considering the possibility that it was an excellent surface for batting?" The former RCBian added: "They went on about how RCB's bowling unit was once again in poor form. As I watched the match, I thought: sometimes commentators get fixated on a narrative. Yes, RCB have never won a title, but it's lazy to keep saying, 'Here we go again. The bowlers are failing, they're useless,' without properly analysing what's happening on the field. Rishabh Pant is not going to score 118 off 60-odd balls on a tricky, very difficult pitch. All the LSG batters were fluent out there." He concluded with: "Yes, there was some poor bowling at times. But ultimately, one must look at the bigger picture-227 runs on a wicket that typically doesn't support such batting suggest it was simply a very good surface. RCB were still in the contest; they weren't blown away, and they proved that." RCB's bowling has been their downfall in most of their important matches. On Tuesday, they lacked the services of fast bowler Josh Hazlewood. The pace attack spearheaded by Yash Dayal and Bhuvneshwar Kumar conceded too many runs.