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Published 18:56 IST, November 8th 2020

Nehra suggests Kohli & Co. to retain more players as Bangalore's wait for trophy continues

As Bangalore failed yet again in clinching the silverware in the IPL, veteran cricketer Ashish Nehra has underlined the persistent problem for the franchise.

Reported by: Jitesh Vachhatani
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Ashish Nehra
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As Bangalore failed yet again in clinching the silverware in the IPL 2020, veteran cricketer Ashish Nehra has underlined the persistent problem for the franchise. The veteran Indian speedster has remarked that Bangalore is 'overly' dependent on Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, in a team of 11 players. Identifying the problem, Nehra suggested that the franchise will have to retain more players apart from Chahal, de Villiers and Kohli, to let the 'consistency' factor come into play. 

“RCB are overly dependent on Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. The entire team and the squad revolve around them, which is not the right thinking as it is a game of 11 players,” said Nehra while speaking on Star Sports.

“Otherwise, from where will you get the players. You cannot change the entire squad in every auction, that apart from two or three, you will change the rest of the 16 to 18 players. They should stick to the same players for at least three years because making a team is a process in which they are very hasty,” he added.

READ | 'Captain Is Only As Good As His Team': Sehwag Backs Under-fire Kohli Amid Captaincy Debate

Gambhir questions Kohli's captaincy

While speaking after the match on Friday, Gambhir held nothing back as he spoke about Kohli needing to "take accountability" as the team's captain. He explained that it was not just about this year, but about Kohli leading a team that has barely even made it to the playoffs in eight years. 

READ | Gautam Gambhir Urges Bangalore To Sack Virat Kohli, Says Team Didn't Deserve Playoffs Spot

"Tell me any other captain - forget about captain - tell me any other player who would have got eight years and wouldn't have won the title and would have still continued with it. So it has to be accountability. A captain needs to take accountability," Gambhir said

Gambhir, who captained Kolkata, questioned which player would have eight years to lead a team, but still not win a title. He added that he has nothing against Kohli, but needs the Indian cricket team captain to say he is responsible for their constant loss. He mentioned Ravichandran Ashwin, who was fired after two seasons with Punjab.

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Bangalore's wait for trophy continues

Despite reaching the playoffs, Bangalore failed to make it to the final after facing defeat against Hyderabad in the Eliminator on Friday. The Virat Kohli-led side started the tournament with sheer dominance, however, faltered in their chase of trophy and ended up losing five games on the trot. Devdutt Padikkal was the find of the tournament for Bangalore as the young gun managed to score more than 400 runs in his debut season of the IPL. 

READ | 'Through Highs & Lows': Kohli Posts Heartwarming Message After Bangalore's Exit From IPL

Updated 18:56 IST, November 8th 2020