'He looked disgusted, frustrated': Brian Lara says star RCB batsman 'wasn't there mentally' during IPL 2021 clash vs KKR

Following Royal Challengers Bangalore's comprehensive nine-wicket defeat at the hands of Kolkata Knight Riders, former West Indies captain Brian Lara analysed the 2016 IPL finalists' performance in Abu Dhabi. Lara explained that KKR proved why the second half is not expected to play anywhere like the first, where RCB dominated the season. 

Adding that lack of match practice was evident in RCB, especially their batsmen, Lara highlighted how it would be unfair to rule those teams out who did not have the best outing in the first-half, such as KKR.

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"One of the areas is 'where is the match fitness? It could be a jaded Virat Kohli as well. But it's a closer encounter than we really think it is. We think here is an RCB team that hasn't only dominated in the first half but they have played better cricket. They had 5 wins out of 7 and with KKR struggling, you think it is going to be a walk in a part. But when you really look man to man, the contest is closer," Lara told Cricket.com.

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RCB posted their fifth-lowest total in IPL's history, getting bowled out for 92. Devdutt Padikkal's 22 was the highest individual score of the innings as the star trio of Virat Kohli (5), AB de Villiers (0) and Glenn Maxwell (10) combined to score just 15. The chase was a cakewalk for KKR, whose openers Shubman Gill and debutant Venkatesh Iyer gave them a rollicking start. While all RCB batsmen looked equally out of sorts, the one that was toughest to watch for Lara was Maxwell.

"Are guys lacking match-practice? Yes. You look at Maxwell. He looked disgusted. He looked frustrated and all of a sudden, he was back. He was nowhere near that delivery. That looked to me like a guy who was mentally not there and willing to handle the battle at hands," the West Indies great pointed out.