Royal Challengers Bangalore talisman batsman AB de Villiers believes it is still not the right time to hit the panic buttons. AB who had scored a fine knock of 71 against Mumbai Indians feels they have time to recover in this season. RCB hasn’t had the best of starts in the season thus far as they have lost all the four matches they have played.
In fact, the franchise is yet to find its perfect playing combination. They have not ticked the right boxes with bat as well as the ball and their woes have just manifolded. Consequently, they would like to make a solid comeback into the ongoing season and they must pull up their socks for the remaining 10 group matches.
RCB has got off a horrendous start.
In his column for the Times of India, de Villiers wrote, “Two home matches in three days present RCB with an ideal opportunity to draw a line beneath the disappointing start. Kolkata Knight Riders are the visitors to the M Chinnaswamy stadium on Friday, and the Delhi Capitals follow on Sunday. Both teams are talented and dangerous, but we must ensure they both have an extremely uncomfortable visit to Bengaluru.”
In fact, it is a difficult pill to swallow for the former South African batsman that they are yet to get off the mark in the IPL. de Villiers believes they have the team which has the skills to go all the way in the tournament. However, they will need to bring their A-game to the table.
“This opinion may sound somehow inadequate but, as we travelled home from Jaipur, I looked around the squad and found it very difficult to believe we have lost our first four matches. We unquestionably have the ability, the desire and the balance to be competitive in this season and, with 10 pool matches left, we have time to recover. At stages, of course, we have underperformed. Against RR, we played 3/10 cricket for too much of the game, allowing our innings to drift fatally in the middle overs; and then, when we tried to defend a relatively low total, we too often released the pressure with fielding errors,” de Villiers added.
Meanwhile, it is never easy for a team to make a comeback after losing their first four matches. However, the momentum can quickly change in the T20 format and the win against Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals will do a world of good for RCB.
RCB has their backs against the wall.
“Such mistakes belie the intensity of our training and preparations. And yet, once the errors are erased, we will start to reap the rewards of practice sessions as tough as yesterday. Head coach Gary Kirsten will keep driving us forward with energy and positivity. The spirits remain high. We still believe. The immediate challenge is to produce two powerful performances before our own supporters, to bat with real purpose and to bowl with real discipline, to get those red flags waving, to beat both KKR and DC, and start to climb away from the bottom of the table,” de Villiers concluded.
Royal Challengers Bangalore have their backs against the wall and they would like to make a roaring comeback into the season. However, AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli will need to start firing with the bat. Furthermore, RCB must get Tim Southee and Washington Sundar into their final XI.