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Tag: Royal Challengers Bangalore

  • Devdutt Padikkal likely to play against SunRisers Hyderabad: Mike Hesson

    By ANI
    CHENNAI: Mike Hesson, Director of Cricket, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has said that opening batsman Devdutt Padikkal is likely to play against the SunRisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

    Ahead of IPL 2021, Padikkal had tested positive for Covid-19 and he was undergoing home quarantine. After returning three negative Covid-19 tests, he joined RCB’s team bubble in Chennai.

    “Devdutt Padikkal has come back nicely, he would be fully fit so he will be considered for the game against SunRisers, and most likely, he would play. Finn Allen has come out of quarantine and looks in great touch, we would have Zampa and Richardson back heading into the next game as well, they will get out the day of the game,” Hesson said in a video posted on the official Twitter handle of RCB.

    Padikkal played his first season for RCB last year and he managed to leave a good impression after scoring 473 runs from 15 matches at an average of 31.53 with his best score being 74.

    Harshal had delivered a stunning bowling performance before AB de Villiers’ masterclass took RCB home against defending champions Mumbai Indians in the opening game of IPL. Harshal had picked five wickets (three in the final over) to restrict Rohit Sharma’s side to 159.

    “Look, we are very happy with the start we had, I think we deserved to win the game against Mumbai Indians. We did a lot of hard work, I guess the only thing is we would have wanted to finish the game off against Mumbai two or three wickets down, it was a great partnership between Virat and Maxwell. When we look back at the game, we have got few little areas to improve upon and that is great. We did a lot of things really well, obviously with the ball and with a partnership in the middle,” said head coach Simon Katich.

    “It was an interesting wicket, the first one. It certainly wasn’t that easy to bat on. The quality of the bowling was really good, it will all depend on the pace of the wicket. It certainly was on the slower side and difficult to score,” he added.

    RCB will take on SunRisers Hyderabad here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium later today in the IPL 2021.

  • SRH doesn’t have as much depth as compared to other teams: RCB wicketkeeper-batsman AB de Villiers

    By ANI
    CHENNAI: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batsman AB de Villiers has said that SunRisers Hyderabad does not have as much depth as compared to the other teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021.

    AB de Villiers’s remarks come as RCB gets ready to lock horns against David Warner-led SunRisers Hyderabad here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium later today.

    “It is a nice attack to face, it is a great challenge. I always enjoy playing against SunRisers Hyderabad. They can challenge you with their skill and they are always smart. It is a matter of us making sure that we get some partnerships and once we get on top of them, they are a kind of a team we can really dominate,” said de Villiers in a video posted on the official Twitter handle of RCB.

    “They do not have as much depth as some of the other teams in the IPL. If get hold of them, we have to make sure that we do not allow them to make a comeback because that’s where they are really dangerous,” he added.

    Harshal Patel had delivered a stunning bowling performance before AB de Villiers’ masterclass took RCB home against defending champions Mumbai Indians in the opening game of IPL. Harshal had picked five wickets (three in the final over) to restrict Rohit Sharma’s side to 159.

    “In the last game, my bowling gave me a lot of confidence and I will take it into the next game,” said pacer Mohammed Siraj while talking about his performance in the game.

  • Fear of failure pushes me to focus more on the ball: RCB wicketkeeper-batsman AB de Villiers

    By ANI
    CHENNAI: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) wicketkeeper-batsman AB de Villiers has said that the fear of failure always pushes him to focus more on the ball and not think too much about anything else.

    AB de Villiers’s remarks come as RCB get ready to lock horns against David Warner-led SunRisers Hyderabad here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium later on Wednesday.

    “I try to play the situations that I am confronted with in the best possible way. That sounds very simple, but the fact of the matter is when you bat in the middle-order, the situation changes everytime. So it’s a matter of adapting and trying to get in and feel comfortable at the wicket. Once you get going, there is always a little bit of momentum shift and once that happens, it is upto me to make the most of it. The fear of failure always pushes me to focus more on the ball, I feel if I can get a start then my chances are much better and to cross the line for the guys,” said de Villiers in a video posted on the official Twitter handle of RCB.

    Harshal Patel had delivered a stunning bowling performance before AB de Villiers’ masterclass took RCB home against defending champions Mumbai Indians in the opening game of IPL. Harshal had picked five wickets (three in the final over) to restrict Rohit Sharma’s side to 159.

    “All the experts need to know I am ready. I haven’t played any games but I have worked really really hard. It is all about as a professional sportsperson to come into the tournament when you feel comfortable and knowing where is your game at. I reached the stage few weeks back where I knew I am ready to play tomorrow, which is a good space to be in. Two weeks ago, I knew I was ready for the IPL but that does not guarantee success but I try and do the hard yards and hopefully it shows in the middle,” said de Villiers.

    “The last game I played was in the last IPL but that does not mean I did not put any hard yards, I started my preparation two months ago, but staying fit and then I started hitting cricket balls two months ago,” he added.

    De Villiers had played a knock of 48 to help RCB win the match against Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2021 opener last Friday.

  • Yuzvendra Chahal ‘welcomes’ KL Rahul, Chris Gayle to Royal Challengers Bangalore

    By IANS
    MUMBAI: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) spinner Yuzvendra Chahal pointed out the similarities between the Punjab Kings’ jersey with that of RCB’s by playfully welcoming captain KL Rahul and Chris Gayle to the franchise.

    “Welcome to @RCBTweets boys @henrygayle @klrahul11,” said Chahal in his tweet with a video of Gayle and Rahul having a chat on the field wearing the Punjab jersey during their match on Monday against Rajasthan Royals.

    Welcome to @RCBTweets boys @henrygayle @klrahul11 pic.twitter.com/1TQ65VzScR
    — Yuzvendra Chahal (@yuzi_chahal) April 12, 2021

    Punjab Kings scored a mammoth 221/6 with captain KL Rahul scoring 91 off 50 balls. However, RR almost pulled off an epic chase with their captain Sanju Samson scoring an extraordinary 119 runs off just 63 deliveries. However, they fell just four runs short with Samson being dismissed off the last ball of the match and RR’s innings ended on 217/7.

  • IPL 2021: Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Harshal Patel ‘chill’ post training

    By ANI
    CHENNAI: Virat Kohli might be targeting his first title in the Indian Premier League (IPL), but the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper also likes to switch off and enjoy with his teammates off the field.

    Kohli on Tuesday shared a picture in which he was seen sharing smiles with AB de Villiers and RCB’s last game hero Harshal Patel.

    “Chilling with these dudes post practice @ABdeVilliers17 @HarshalPatel23,” Kohli tweeted.

    Chilling with these dudes post practice @ABdeVilliers17@HarshalPatel23 pic.twitter.com/Y06h8QnIXg
    — Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) April 13, 2021

    Harshal had delivered a stunning bowling performance before de Villiers’ masterclass took RCB home against defending champions Mumbai Indians in the opening game of IPL. Harshal had picked five wickets (three in the final over) to restrict Rohit Sharma’s side to 159.

    Earlier in the day, Harshal said he benefitted from the clarity regarding his role given by the team management two weeks prior to the start of this year’s IPL.

    “Clarity is always good. It helps you with your mental preparation, it helps you with your skill preparation. Whenever you have clarity, you know whatever situations you are going to face in the game and you can prepare mentally accordingly and in terms of skill so it is always good to have clarity about your role,” said Harshal while replying to an ANI query during a virtual press conference.

    When asked how he feels with Kohli entrusting him to be the death over specialist, Harshal said: “I wanted to become a bowler or a player who takes on responsibility and the captain is confident enough to put me in those important situations and I look at it as a privilege. It is something I have looked forward to for a very long time and I am very happy that I am being put in those situations now.”

    RCB will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday and will look to keep the winning momentum going.

  • IPL 2014 made people back home believe I was sub-continent specialist: RCB all-rounder Glenn Maxwell

    By ANI
    CHENNAI: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has said that the 2014 Indian Premier League (IPL) performance made people in Australia believe that he was a sub-continent specialist.

    Maxwell played for Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in IPL 2014. The first leg of that tournament was played in the UAE, and Maxwell was able to light up the tournament and that edition saw the best of the right-handed batsman.

    “I have been a massive beneficiary of the IPL. It is certainly fast-tracked my international T20 career, I have been able to experience the Indian conditions, we had an IPL in Dubai in 2014 and I was able to perform really well over there. After that, I got a bit pigeon-holed in Australia over being a sub-continent specialist. It got me a few ODIs and Test tours which I probably would not have been able to do so if not for the IPL,” Maxwell said in a video posted on the official Twitter handle of RCB.

    “I still remember chatting with Sachin Tendulkar in my first year at the IPL, the fact the I was an Aussie, I joked with him, I think he liked that. He was brilliant with the sort of way he opened up his world to him. Every year you come to the IPL, it is a massive learning experience,” he added.

    In the first game of IPL 2021, Maxwell played a knock of 39 runs to help RCB defeat Mumbai Indians by two wickets here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Maxwell revealed how the build-up for the IPL auction was for him and how teammate Adam Zampa had a funny role in RCB picking him.

    “There is actually a funny story, the day of the auction, we were training on the day of the auction in New Zealand while we were in quarantine. Adam Zampa had his RCB hat in his bag and he took out it, and he made sure to send a photo to Virat saying let’s have Maxwell in our team. It was like Zampa saying Virat congratulations, I have already given Maxwell his RCB cap. It all happened really well, it would have looked silly if it did not work out this way. Virat said you guys are idiots after Zampa sent him the picture,” said Maxwell.

    Speaking about his bond with spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, Maxwell said: “I am certainly looking forward to playing with my little friend (Yuzvendra Chahal). He has already played a few pranks on me since I have been here. We were in the squad together in 2013 while playing for Mumbai Indians so we have been friends for a long time, we have been close ever since and every time we come up against each other, we hug before the game. We always try to have fun and keep smiles on the faces.”

    Maxwell also said that the Indian talent in the RCB side is quite impressive and it will push the foreign players to keep performing day and day out this season.

    “I think I look at the depth of the Indian talent RCB has got, it is something that really excited me. It is pretty scary how talented these young kids are. It puts pressure on our international stars to keep performing. You want pressure coming from underneath, we have to make sure that we are performing for RCB. We have got specialist openers and very good Indian bowlers. You have Chahal, who is going to be massive for us this year,” said Maxwell.

  • My role with the bat is to get as many boundaries as I can: RCB all-rounder Harshal Patel

    By ANI
    CHENNAI: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) all-rounder Harshal Patel on Tuesday said apart from his job with the ball, he also knows his role as a batsman and he admitted that he would be expected to hit as many boundaries as he can.

    Harshal had delivered a stunning bowling performance before AB de Villiers’ masterclass took RCB home against defending champions Mumbai Indians in the opening game of IPL. Harshal had picked five wickets (three in the final over) to restrict Rohit Sharma’s side to 159. In the end, Harshal even went on to score the winning runs for his franchise.

    “Obviously, whenever I am going to bat, I am going to bat in the situation I encountered in the first game, it is always going to be a crunch situation. My role is to get as many boundaries as I can. But this role changes according to the situation of the game. In the last game, for example, AB de Villiers was batting alongside me, my job was to give him a single, all is dependent on the situation of the game and you react to it,” said Harshal during a virtual press conference.

    “I was just watching the ball when we needed one run on the final delivery against Mumbai. I knew my instincts would take over if I watch the ball closely. If you have a lot of things on your mind before the ball is bowled then you sort of get confused and you become double-minded where you do not execute what you want to. Whenever I bowl or bat, my focus is on watching the ball or hitting the areas I want to,” he added.

    When asked whether he feels any pressure after performing so well against Mumbai, Harshal said: “It is out of my control, everyone says to focus on the process. It is a cliche but it is true. All I can do is try and win as many games as possible and try to have a positive impact on the game.

    “Death bowling is one of those aspects where you are in a position to win the game for your team. It is a privileged position when you can win the game for your team, it can put a dent in your confidence if it does not go your way. Death bowling is something I have worked on and I am confident to take all that practice into the game,” he added.

    When asked how he sees himself as a batsman, Harshal said: “My focus from 2018 IPL, lot of people did not show interest in me and I took it as an insult as I wanted to become a player who was a match-winner and had a lot of value attached to it. I realised if I work on my batting then I can become a valuable player. With experience, I have realised if I pay more attention to how I approach particular innings and if I find my way around the difficulties, then I can definitely prove myself as an all-rounder.”

  • Clarity regarding my role given by RCB management benefitted me: Harshal Patel

    By ANI
    CHENNAI: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) pacer Harshal Patel on Tuesday said he benefitted from the clarity regarding his role given by the team management two weeks prior to the start of this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL).

    Harshal had delivered a stunning bowling performance before AB de Villiers’ masterclass took RCB home against defending champions Mumbai Indians in the opening game of IPL. Harshal had picked five wickets (three in the final over) to restrict Rohit Sharma’s side to 159.

    “Clarity is always good. It helps you with your mental preparation, it helps you with your skill preparation. Whenever you have clarity, you know whatever situations you are going to face in the game and you can prepare mentally accordingly and in terms of skill so it is always good to have clarity about your role,” said Harshal while replying to an ANI query during a virtual press conference.

    When asked how he feels with Virat entrusting him to be the death over specialist, Harshal said: “I wanted to become a bowler or a player who takes on responsibility and the captain is confident enough to put me in those important situations and I look at it as a privilege. It is something I have looked forward to for a very long time and I am very happy that I am being put in those situations now.”

    Talking about the performance of the uncapped players in this season, Harsal said: “Most of the teams have started looking at what the bowler is doing in training and practice games. I think it is a good trend people are starting to realise that even the uncapped players are good enough to take the responsibility of bowling at the death. I think we will see more of that going forward.”

    In the opening game against Mumbai Indians, Harshal changed the complexion of the game by taking three wickets in the final over of the innings and Mumbai batters did not have any answers to his yorkers and slower balls.

    “Obviously, it is very important to start well. The sort of game I had the other night, I did not expect that, to be very honest. I wanted to execute my plans, it was one of those nights where everything came my way, I know it’s a pendulum and bowling at the death, you can win some games for your team but you can also lose some games for your team so I am prepared both ways,” said Harshal.

    Before the IPL 2021 season, Harshal was traded by Delhi Capitals to Royal Challengers Bangalore. Talking about this trade, Harshal said: “Not really, I was not involved in that really. It’s a welcome decision from my side because I knew with Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje in Delhi Capitals, I will not get the opportunities I am getting here. It is great to be in a team where I can showcase my skills and where I have the privilege of being put in difficult situations.”

    “I have had massive performance anxiety in the past IPL seasons for this particular reason, you know you are going to get dropped if you have one bad game. It is again a very mental thing, you have to figure out how you get out of that mindset. There is no one solution to this problem, each and every individual has to figure out how to get out of this mindset,” he added.

  • SRH vs RCB Preview, IPL 2021: Royal Challengers Bangalore look to consolidate position as Surnrisers Hyderabad eye first win

    By PTI
    CHENNAI: Seeking to consolidate their position after a winning start, Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore will have their task cut out as they take on a determined Surnrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League here on Wednesday.

    While RCB began their campaign with a morale-boosting win over five-time defending champions Mumbai Indians at the same venue, the David Warner-led SRH lost to Kolkata Knight Riders in their tournament opener.

    Having put up a decent performance in the first game, RCB will be strengthened further when the immensely-talented Devdutt Padikkal makes the team after his recovery from COVID-19.

    Padikkal has said he is now completely ready to play his part in the IPL and confident of replicating his stupendous domestic form in the ongoing league.

    He contracted the deadly virus on March 22 and was in isolation, but has since completely recovered and resumed practice with his RCB teammates.

    In the event Padikkal is unable to return for Wednesday’s game, RCB will stick to the opening pair of Kohli and Washington Sundar.

    RCB might try out the likes of Mohammed Azharuddeen and Australian leg-spinner Adam Zampa in the coming matches.

    Kohli and the incomparable AB de Villiers will be the key men again for RCB in batting, with Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell hoping to make invaluable contributions with the willow.

    He looked good in the first game in RCB jersey, and has the backing of the team management, including skipper Kohli.

    Barring the trio of Kohli, de Villiers and Maxwell, RCB look thin on batting and that’s why Padikkal’s presence at the top is important for them.

    The 20-year-old Karnataka left-hander was RCB’s highest run-getter in IPL 2020 with 473 runs from 15 matches, including five half-centuries in what was his debut season.

    Padikkal continued rich form in the last Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (218 runs at an average of 43.60 in six matches) and Vijay Hazare Trophy (737 runs in seven matches).

    After their failure in the opener, Rajat Patidat and Washington would look to make amends against SRH.

    Almost all of RCB’s bowlers were economical against MI’s formidable batting with medium pacer Harshal Patel returning excellent figures of 5/27.

    They will certainly look for an encore.

    As far as SRH are concerned, both their openers Wriddhiman Saha and Warner failed to get going against KKR in the first game and will look to make up for that against RCB.

    The swashbuckling Warner has close to 600 runs against RCB and he will aim to add to that impressive tally.

    In opening, SRH have the option of reuniting Warner with Jonny Bairstow, who made a fifty while batting in the middle-order against KKR alongside Manish Pandey, who made a 44-ball 61.

    Kane Williamson is unlikely to return on Wednesday as coach Trevor Bayliss had said the Kiwi would require some more time to regain full match fitness.

    Bhuvneshwar Kumar went for runs against KKR but the experienced seamer is expected to get his rhythm back sooner than later.

    The likes of Rashid Khan and Mohammed Nabi can also ask probing questions with their crafty bowling.

    Teams (from):

    Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli (c), Devdutt Padikkal, Finn Allen (wk), AB de Villiers (wk), Pavan Deshpande, Washington Sundar, Daniel Sams, Yuzvendra Chahal, Adam Zampa, Shahbaz Ahmed, Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Kane Richardson, Harshal Patel, Glenn Maxwell, Sachin Baby, Rajat Patidar, Mohammed Azharuddeen, Kyle Jamieson, Daniel Christian, Suyash Prabhudessai, K.S.Bharat

    Sunrisers Hyderabad: David Warner (c), Kane Williamson, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Manish Pandey, Sreevats Goswami (wk), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Priyam Garg, Vijay Shankar, Abhishek Sharma, Abdul Samad, Virat Singh, Mitchell Marsh, Jason Holder, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Shahbaz Nadeem, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T.Natarajan, Sandeep Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed, Siddarth Kaul, Basil Thampi, Jagadeesha Suchith, Kedar Jadhav, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman.

  • COVID was a setback, but I am perfectly fine now: RCB batsman Devdutt Padikkal

    By ANI
    CHENNAI: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) opening batsman Devdutt Padikkal has said while testing positive for Covid-19 was a setback, he is perfectly fine now.

    Ahead of IPL 2021, Padikkal had tested positive for Covid-19 and he was undergoing home quarantine. After returning three negative Covid-19 tests, he joined RCB’s team bubble in Chennai.

    “Covid was a setback, I wished that it did not happen but that is something I could not control so once it was there, I had to accept the way it was. It was just about making sure that I stay fit and be ready for the game. I am completely fine now, most importantly I am able to move around. Unless you are a 100 per cent, you cannot push yourself so I just wanted to make sure that I am 100 per cent,” said Padikkal in a video posted on the official Twitter handle of RCB.

    Padikkal played his first season for RCB last year and he managed to leave a good impression after scoring 473 runs from 15 matches at an average of 31.53 with his best score being 74.

    “It has been a roller coaster to an extent. Last IPL was amazing for me and it was such a great experience. The opportunities I got and the fact that I was able to contribute for the side was all that mattered. After that, Syed Mushtaq Ali was decent and then Vijay Hazare, I was just looking to get into my rhythm, it was really great to have the runs behind me coming into the IPL. I know I am confident as I have runs behind me in the domestic season,” said Padikkal.

    The left-handed batsman had a good build up to the IPL after he finished the Vijay Hazare Trophy as the second highest run-getter. He finished with a tally of 737 runs

    “My favourite innings would be against Mumbai which we had in Abu Dhabi last season. I felt that it was the best that I batted throughout the IPL, but in terms of being the most memorable, it could be the first one because the debut is a special feeling and to be able to get fifty in the first match, always feels good,” said Padikkal.

    RCB managed to win the first match against Mumbai Indians in the ongoing edition of the IPL, and the Virat Kohli-led side will next lock horns against SunRisers Hyderabad at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.