It was a tough loss on the other day for Royal Challengers Bangalore. They were outsmarted by Sunrisers Hyderabad in all sections of the game to give them a huge dent in the net-run-rate as well. Meanwhile, the key member of the side AB de Villiers speaks on the challenges for RCB.
The team looked pretty ordinary on the other day at Hyderabad. They were given a hard punishment by David Warner and Jonny Bairstow, who stitched a record partnership. It was followed by the beautiful spell from Mohammad Nabi.
This was not what we expected – AB de Villiers
Writing to Times of India, AB de Villiers narrated an incident which happened between him and Virat Kohli in the team bus after the tough loss. He quoted that there was nothing to speak between them but they knew they were on the wrong side of things. He also felt that RCB supporters were right in fearing of yet another poor season.
”It just so happened that Virat Kohli and I were sitting beside each other on the RCB bus back to the hotel after our emphatic defeat against Sunrisers in Hyderabad. He looked at me. I looked at him. There was nothing to say. This was not what we expected. We have been together as a squad for more than two weeks now, and we have worked exceptionally hard,” he said.
Further, he went on to add saying that the team had done brilliantly in the practice sessions. AB de Villiers also believes that the team balance was also right but unfortunately, they were on the wrong side of things.
”Our preparation has been excellent, and the team feels balanced. No question, we should be winning matches. And yet, we are not winning. We’ve played three and lost three, and RCB supporters are rightly concerned by the prospect of another disappointing season,.” he added.
What if RCB wins three matches in a row?
However, the Proteas star AB de Villiers is confident of making things fall in place for the team. He believes that the franchise has got required goods to make a good turnaround by winning 5 games in a row. For that, he wants players to trust themselves personally.
“What now? We have at least 11 pool matches left and IPL history suggests you need to win eight, or even seven games to progress to the knock-out stages. Can this RCB team suddenly turn the corner and win five matches in a row? Absolutely. Our immediate challenge is to keep faith in ourselves, not just as a squad but as individuals under pressure. Cricket remains a team game but, whether you’re a batsman or a bowler, each of us must fight through tough times and trust our own personal ability,” de Villiers signed off.
Well, as AB de Villiers said, the Royal Challengers Bangalore has got the tremendous squad to win the next few games on a trot. After facing three losses, they will be travelling to Jaipur to lock horns with Rajasthan Royals.