IPL 2021: Have to show more courage in crunch moments, says Virat Kohli

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper Virat Kohli believes that it is necessary for his players to showcase more courage in moments, that can determine contests. RCB suffered their second consecutive defeat in the ongoing UAE leg of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 on Friday, following a defeat by a margin of six wickets against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). While the Bangalore-based franchise seemed capable of posting a total in excess of 200 at one stage, they eventually accumulated just 156 runs on the board which did not prove enough.

“I feel we left out 15-20 runs out there”

“The wicket did slow down a bit. But I feel we left out 15-20 runs out there. 175 would’ve been a winning total. Didn’t bowl consistently. Didn’t show that much courage I guess with the ball. They bowled well in the back end of the innings, executed the slower balls and yorkers nicely. We spoke of areas we didn’t want them to hit and we didn’t do that. That little bit of X factor was missing in the first 5-6 overs. Got to get on that winning run again. This one is a bit more disappointing. The first one we just weren’t in the game. Have to show more courage in crunch moments. This tournament goes by quickly,” said Kohli as quoted by Cricbuzz.

CSK skipper MS Dhoni believes the spell of Ravindra Jadeja proved to be a game-changer, and eventually went on to determine the final result.

“Jadeja’s spell was very crucial”

“We were worried about the dew and we saw that last season. They got off to a great start and after the eighth or ninth over, the pitch slowed down a bit. Jadeja’s spell was very crucial especially with the way Padikkal was batting from one end. I told Moeen that he would bowl from one end during drinks, but then I changed my mind. I decided Bravo should bowl because the more you delayed him, the more difficult it was given that he’d have to bowl four straight overs in these difficult conditions. Our players have worked hard and understood their roles and responsibilities. All three grounds here are different. This one is the slowest of the lot. I felt the left-right combination here was important with the bat,” said Dhoni.

One of the key contributors in CSK’s triumph was opener Ruturaj Gaikwad, who stitched a fine partnership with Faf du Plessis, to ensure a solid start to proceedings.

“I was very happy when we won the last match, happy with this one as well. The opening partnership is always important, the new ball was coming onto the bat, we just had to play good cricketing shots. We complement each other well (on his partnership with Faf du Plessis), we know when to attack and which bowler to go after, that’s what is working well for us. Just try and be consistent, just contribute for the team, whatever you can do for the team, that’s important,” stated Gaikwad.