NEWS
Follow UsRoyal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) completed yet another victory - this tome over Rajasthan Royals (RR) - and have already put one foot into the playoffs spot. Chasing 150, RCB won the match by seven wickets with 17 balls to spare.
Skipper Virat Kohli was pleased with the way the team bounced back after two continuous defeats and he puts it down to the confidence and fearlessness with which RCB play. "We have gotten the rewards because we have been confident and fearless. That's been the USP of our team in the last two games," Kohli said at the post-match presentation.
"Through the middle overs, our bowling has been amazing. With the bat as well, we have been getting good opening starts which gives a lot of balance to the team. That's been the focus with Dev and myself - to get good starts."
"We were blown away completely in game one, we took it as a positive. You need to be up with the pace of the tournament. We are getting into the groove at the right stage of the tournament," he added.
RR were comfortably placed at 100 for 1 after 11 overs and suddenly lost a flurry of wickets and could manage just 149 in the end. Kohli says debutant George Garton getting rid of Evin Lewis at that stage was the turning point of the match.
"Evin Lewis's wicket was the game-changing moment. Garton did really well in his first game, he was composed enough to pitch the ball in the right area," Kohli said.
Kohli's counterpart Sanju Samson conceded that his side's middle-order need a bit more confidence. "We got a really good start, our openers played really well, but we couldn't capitalise on it," Samson said.
"Think the middle-order needs some confidence, it has been a hard one week for us, we need to put up a good fight. The wicket was a bit two paced, so the batters couldn't time the ball properly, they kept mistiming it," he added.
However, Samson was happy with the effort put in by the bowlers. "I'm happy with the intent put in by the bowlers. We don't have anything to lose and that gives a lot of freedom to go out and express ourselves. Funny things can happen in IPL, we need to keep believing till the last match we play," he added.
RR are rooted to the seventh place in the IPL 2021 points table with eight points from 11 matches. RCB, on the other hand, have accumulated 14 points with this victory and are currently at third place begind Delhi Capitals (16) and Chennai Super Kings (16).
RCB will look to continue their winning run going when they take on Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Sunday (October 3) in Sharjah. RR are in action a day before and they take on CSK in Abu Dhabi.