Tag: Royal Challengers Bangalore

  • CSK skipper Ravindra Jadeja becomes most successful bowler against RCB

    By ANI

    NAVI MUMBAI: Chennai Super Kings skipper Ravindra Jadeja became the most successful bowler against Royal Challengers Bangalore, as he holds the record for the most number of wickets against the franchise.

    Jadeja achieved this feat on Tuesday when he scalped three wickets against RCB, here at Dr DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai. He now has a total of 26 wickets against RCB.

    The all-rounder is being followed by Jasprit Bumrah and Ashish Nehra, with 24 and 23 wickets, respectively.

    Coming to the match, brilliant knocks by Shivam Dube and Robin Uthappa were backed by courageous bowling performance as Chennai Super Kings completed a comfortable 23 runs victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore in their IPL 2022 match on Tuesday.

    Robin Uthappa played his IPL career-best inning of 88 while Shivam Dube smashed a thrilling 95* as the pair stitched a mammoth partnership of 165 runs to help CSK reach the highest total of the IPL 2022 — 216/4. Among bowlers, Maheesh Theekshana was the star for CSK as he scalped four wickets while their skipper Ravindra Jadeja took three to completely dismantle the chase of RCB.

    This is CSK’s first win after five matches in the IPL 2022 while for RCB this is their only second defeat.

    NAVI MUMBAI: Chennai Super Kings skipper Ravindra Jadeja became the most successful bowler against Royal Challengers Bangalore, as he holds the record for the most number of wickets against the franchise.

    Jadeja achieved this feat on Tuesday when he scalped three wickets against RCB, here at Dr DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai. He now has a total of 26 wickets against RCB.

    The all-rounder is being followed by Jasprit Bumrah and Ashish Nehra, with 24 and 23 wickets, respectively.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Coming to the match, brilliant knocks by Shivam Dube and Robin Uthappa were backed by courageous bowling performance as Chennai Super Kings completed a comfortable 23 runs victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore in their IPL 2022 match on Tuesday.

    Robin Uthappa played his IPL career-best inning of 88 while Shivam Dube smashed a thrilling 95* as the pair stitched a mammoth partnership of 165 runs to help CSK reach the highest total of the IPL 2022 — 216/4. Among bowlers, Maheesh Theekshana was the star for CSK as he scalped four wickets while their skipper Ravindra Jadeja took three to completely dismantle the chase of RCB.

    This is CSK’s first win after five matches in the IPL 2022 while for RCB this is their only second defeat.

  • CSK skipper Ravindra Jadeja becomes most successful bowler against RCB

    By ANI

    NAVI MUMBAI: Chennai Super Kings skipper Ravindra Jadeja became the most successful bowler against Royal Challengers Bangalore, as he holds the record for the most number of wickets against the franchise.

    Jadeja achieved this feat on Tuesday when he scalped three wickets against RCB, here at Dr DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai. He now has a total of 26 wickets against RCB.

    The all-rounder is being followed by Jasprit Bumrah and Ashish Nehra, with 24 and 23 wickets, respectively.

    Coming to the match, brilliant knocks by Shivam Dube and Robin Uthappa were backed by courageous bowling performance as Chennai Super Kings completed a comfortable 23 runs victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore in their IPL 2022 match on Tuesday.

    Robin Uthappa played his IPL career-best inning of 88 while Shivam Dube smashed a thrilling 95* as the pair stitched a mammoth partnership of 165 runs to help CSK reach the highest total of the IPL 2022 — 216/4. Among bowlers, Maheesh Theekshana was the star for CSK as he scalped four wickets while their skipper Ravindra Jadeja took three to completely dismantle the chase of RCB.

    This is CSK’s first win after five matches in the IPL 2022 while for RCB this is their only second defeat.

  • Have learned lot from MS Dhoni, he is fantastic captain: RCB skipper Faf du Plessis

    By ANI

    MUMBAI: Ahead of the Chennai Super Kings game against Royal Challengers Bangalore at DY Patil Sports Academy on Tuesday, Faf du Plessis spoke about facing his old team and the memories he shared with the team CSK.

    Former CSK star player, who is the current captain of the RCB team also expressed his excitement to meet his old teammates ahead of the clash. Speaking on the ‘Inside RCB’ show on Star Sports, Faf du Plessis said: “It would be really great to play against Chennai. As I said I have got an incredible amount of love and respect from the people for everything that they have done.”

    “So it would be a great day to see everyone again and obviously when we walk on the field hopefully I can put in some performances to get RCB the win on that game,” he added.

    Faf du Plessis also spoke about his journey with CSK, he said: “I’m extremely grateful for Chennai and being around with them for more than 10 years. They have a special place in my heart and I have learned a lot from MS Dhoni, he’s a fantastic captain as well, so I’m sitting in a position where I can learn from two of the great leaders in Indian cricket.”

    Both sides have so far savoured completely contrasting fortunes in the latest edition of the tournament as the Royal Challengers Bangalore have been soaring high with three consecutive wins while Chennai is still to get off the mark after the worst start to their campaign in the antiquity of the entire tournament.

  • Have learned lot from MS Dhoni, he is fantastic captain: RCB skipper Faf du Plessis

    By ANI

    MUMBAI: Ahead of the Chennai Super Kings game against Royal Challengers Bangalore at DY Patil Sports Academy on Tuesday, Faf du Plessis spoke about facing his old team and the memories he shared with the team CSK.

    Former CSK star player, who is the current captain of the RCB team also expressed his excitement to meet his old teammates ahead of the clash. Speaking on the ‘Inside RCB’ show on Star Sports, Faf du Plessis said: “It would be really great to play against Chennai. As I said I have got an incredible amount of love and respect from the people for everything that they have done.”

    “So it would be a great day to see everyone again and obviously when we walk on the field hopefully I can put in some performances to get RCB the win on that game,” he added.

    Faf du Plessis also spoke about his journey with CSK, he said: “I’m extremely grateful for Chennai and being around with them for more than 10 years. They have a special place in my heart and I have learned a lot from MS Dhoni, he’s a fantastic captain as well, so I’m sitting in a position where I can learn from two of the great leaders in Indian cricket.”

    Both sides have so far savoured completely contrasting fortunes in the latest edition of the tournament as the Royal Challengers Bangalore have been soaring high with three consecutive wins while Chennai is still to get off the mark after the worst start to their campaign in the antiquity of the entire tournament.

    MUMBAI: Ahead of the Chennai Super Kings game against Royal Challengers Bangalore at DY Patil Sports Academy on Tuesday, Faf du Plessis spoke about facing his old team and the memories he shared with the team CSK.

    Former CSK star player, who is the current captain of the RCB team also expressed his excitement to meet his old teammates ahead of the clash. Speaking on the ‘Inside RCB’ show on Star Sports, Faf du Plessis said: “It would be really great to play against Chennai. As I said I have got an incredible amount of love and respect from the people for everything that they have done.”

    “So it would be a great day to see everyone again and obviously when we walk on the field hopefully I can put in some performances to get RCB the win on that game,” he added.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Faf du Plessis also spoke about his journey with CSK, he said: “I’m extremely grateful for Chennai and being around with them for more than 10 years. They have a special place in my heart and I have learned a lot from MS Dhoni, he’s a fantastic captain as well, so I’m sitting in a position where I can learn from two of the great leaders in Indian cricket.”

    Both sides have so far savoured completely contrasting fortunes in the latest edition of the tournament as the Royal Challengers Bangalore have been soaring high with three consecutive wins while Chennai is still to get off the mark after the worst start to their campaign in the antiquity of the entire tournament.

  • Playing cricket was a luxury in my city; parents were not supportive: RCB pacer Akash Deep

    By IANS

    MUMBAI: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) pace bowler Akash Deep has revealed how tough it was to hone the rudiments of his art in the city of Sasaram (Bihar), where playing cricket “was a luxury” with no infrastructure and his parents hardly supportive of his endeavour.

    The 25-year-old started out as an intern, bowling at the RCB nets during IPL 2021. But cut to 2022, the young pacer has shown he has plenty in the kitty to hang around with the big boys on the big stage. Akash was instrumental in restricting Mumbai Indians to 151/6 at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium on April 9, helping his side win the crunch contest by seven wickets.

    Not only did he bowl one of the most economical spells on that day — Akash conceded just 20 runs in his four overs, which also included a maiden — he also took the prized wicket of Ishan Kishan when the MI opener looked well set on 26.

    Akash has already claimed five wickets, three of which came against KKR on March 30 despite an expensive outing (3/45).

    “My father was a high school teacher. Growing up in Sasaram, there was no cricket in that part of the country. In fact, being honest, there was no cricketer from the state at all. Especially the area that I come from, cricket felt like a luxury and my parents were also not supportive of me taking up the game,” said Akash.

    “My father was a teacher as I have said earlier and by the time he was out for school, I would sneak out and practice the game. When my dad came to know that I play cricket, he passed his verdict saying that I won’t be able to do anything in my career. He was not entirely wrong, actually. Whichever kid from that region tried his hand at cricket, they came back unsuccessful. That is why he told me not to play the game.”

    Akash said that he made up his mind that he only wanted to become a cricketer after watching the final of the 2007 T20 World Cup between arch-rivals India and Pakistan. He said that he was “intrigued” by the hype, and the passion and emotions of people after the MS Dhoni-led team won the title in Johannesburg.

    “It was the final of the 2007 T20 World Cup where India was playing Pakistan. That was the time when the entire village came together and rented a generator only to watch the game because there was no current (electricity) in the village. The funding was raised from the entire village and a small TV played host to the deluge of spectators pouring in to catch live action of the two fiercest rivals,” said Akash.

    “I was intrigued that what exactly is this that everyone is so hyped up about. After India lifted the trophy, the passion, the emotions and the feelings that people had in them, that is what made me realise that I need to choose this game as my profession. That World Cup-winning moment for India was what stirred the interest in me.”

  • Playing cricket was a luxury in my city; parents were not supportive: RCB pacer Akash Deep

    By IANS

    MUMBAI: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) pace bowler Akash Deep has revealed how tough it was to hone the rudiments of his art in the city of Sasaram (Bihar), where playing cricket “was a luxury” with no infrastructure and his parents hardly supportive of his endeavour.

    The 25-year-old started out as an intern, bowling at the RCB nets during IPL 2021. But cut to 2022, the young pacer has shown he has plenty in the kitty to hang around with the big boys on the big stage. Akash was instrumental in restricting Mumbai Indians to 151/6 at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium on April 9, helping his side win the crunch contest by seven wickets.

    Not only did he bowl one of the most economical spells on that day — Akash conceded just 20 runs in his four overs, which also included a maiden — he also took the prized wicket of Ishan Kishan when the MI opener looked well set on 26.

    Akash has already claimed five wickets, three of which came against KKR on March 30 despite an expensive outing (3/45).

    “My father was a high school teacher. Growing up in Sasaram, there was no cricket in that part of the country. In fact, being honest, there was no cricketer from the state at all. Especially the area that I come from, cricket felt like a luxury and my parents were also not supportive of me taking up the game,” said Akash.

    “My father was a teacher as I have said earlier and by the time he was out for school, I would sneak out and practice the game. When my dad came to know that I play cricket, he passed his verdict saying that I won’t be able to do anything in my career. He was not entirely wrong, actually. Whichever kid from that region tried his hand at cricket, they came back unsuccessful. That is why he told me not to play the game.”

    Akash said that he made up his mind that he only wanted to become a cricketer after watching the final of the 2007 T20 World Cup between arch-rivals India and Pakistan. He said that he was “intrigued” by the hype, and the passion and emotions of people after the MS Dhoni-led team won the title in Johannesburg.

    “It was the final of the 2007 T20 World Cup where India was playing Pakistan. That was the time when the entire village came together and rented a generator only to watch the game because there was no current (electricity) in the village. The funding was raised from the entire village and a small TV played host to the deluge of spectators pouring in to catch live action of the two fiercest rivals,” said Akash.

    “I was intrigued that what exactly is this that everyone is so hyped up about. After India lifted the trophy, the passion, the emotions and the feelings that people had in them, that is what made me realise that I need to choose this game as my profession. That World Cup-winning moment for India was what stirred the interest in me.”

    MUMBAI: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) pace bowler Akash Deep has revealed how tough it was to hone the rudiments of his art in the city of Sasaram (Bihar), where playing cricket “was a luxury” with no infrastructure and his parents hardly supportive of his endeavour.

    The 25-year-old started out as an intern, bowling at the RCB nets during IPL 2021. But cut to 2022, the young pacer has shown he has plenty in the kitty to hang around with the big boys on the big stage. Akash was instrumental in restricting Mumbai Indians to 151/6 at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium on April 9, helping his side win the crunch contest by seven wickets.

    Not only did he bowl one of the most economical spells on that day — Akash conceded just 20 runs in his four overs, which also included a maiden — he also took the prized wicket of Ishan Kishan when the MI opener looked well set on 26.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Akash has already claimed five wickets, three of which came against KKR on March 30 despite an expensive outing (3/45).

    “My father was a high school teacher. Growing up in Sasaram, there was no cricket in that part of the country. In fact, being honest, there was no cricketer from the state at all. Especially the area that I come from, cricket felt like a luxury and my parents were also not supportive of me taking up the game,” said Akash.

    “My father was a teacher as I have said earlier and by the time he was out for school, I would sneak out and practice the game. When my dad came to know that I play cricket, he passed his verdict saying that I won’t be able to do anything in my career. He was not entirely wrong, actually. Whichever kid from that region tried his hand at cricket, they came back unsuccessful. That is why he told me not to play the game.”

    Akash said that he made up his mind that he only wanted to become a cricketer after watching the final of the 2007 T20 World Cup between arch-rivals India and Pakistan. He said that he was “intrigued” by the hype, and the passion and emotions of people after the MS Dhoni-led team won the title in Johannesburg.

    “It was the final of the 2007 T20 World Cup where India was playing Pakistan. That was the time when the entire village came together and rented a generator only to watch the game because there was no current (electricity) in the village. The funding was raised from the entire village and a small TV played host to the deluge of spectators pouring in to catch live action of the two fiercest rivals,” said Akash.

    “I was intrigued that what exactly is this that everyone is so hyped up about. After India lifted the trophy, the passion, the emotions and the feelings that people had in them, that is what made me realise that I need to choose this game as my profession. That World Cup-winning moment for India was what stirred the interest in me.”

  • Southern derby set to liven up IPL with Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni on opposing sides

    By IANS

    MUMBAI: It is going to be a clash of the heavyweights when the in-form Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) take on the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the southern derby at the DY Patil Stadium here later on Tuesday.

    An IPL clash with two former India captains in the opposing sides is a delight for the fans, but if those two happen to be the iconic Virat Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the contest takes an altogether different meaning.

    Both sides have so far had contrasting fortunes in this edition of the IPL. While RCB have been flying high on the back of superb performances from their batters as well as bowlers and are currently third on the points table after three wins in four outings, the Ravindra Jadeja-led CSK are scraping the bottom of the table after four consecutive losses.

    The Faf du Plessis-led RCB will be coming into the contest on the back of fine form as they ran riot against an off-colour Mumbai Indians with an all-round display, with budding opener Anuj Rawat smashing a coming-of-age knock and the seasoned Kohli steering the team to the finishing line with a controlled 48.

    The bowlers too were spot on as they restricted Mumbai Indians in the first 15 overs.

    Four-time IPL champions CSK, on the other hand, have struggled badly, with barely anything to show for their efforts as they have slumped to four straight losses, the worst start ever for the side. This clash will be of symbolic importance to CSK as another loss can deal a massive blow to their already dampened spirits.

    RCB skipper Faf du Plessis will come up against the batting prowess of Moeen Ali in another interesting clash to watch out for. The former South African captain got off to a fine start as he blasted 88 in the season opener. However, since then he has been relatively quiet going by the high standards. But on his day, du Plessis can almost single-handedly change the course of the game. Moeen too is a dynamic striker of the ball and can roll his wrists as well for good measure. He was also instrumental in CSK winning the IPL last season.

    The venue is likely to favour the bowlers slightly, with a minimal presence of green that has made the ball drift in the early overs. However, a match aggregate of 400-plus runs cannot be ruled out. Teams chasing will always have the upper hand considering the dew factor and the fact that 10 T20 games out of the 13 played here have been won by the chasers.

  • Southern derby set to liven up IPL with Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni on opposing sides

    By IANS

    MUMBAI: It is going to be a clash of the heavyweights when the in-form Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) take on the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the southern derby at the DY Patil Stadium here later on Tuesday.

    An IPL clash with two former India captains in the opposing sides is a delight for the fans, but if those two happen to be the iconic Virat Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the contest takes an altogether different meaning.

    Both sides have so far had contrasting fortunes in this edition of the IPL. While RCB have been flying high on the back of superb performances from their batters as well as bowlers and are currently third on the points table after three wins in four outings, the Ravindra Jadeja-led CSK are scraping the bottom of the table after four consecutive losses.

    The Faf du Plessis-led RCB will be coming into the contest on the back of fine form as they ran riot against an off-colour Mumbai Indians with an all-round display, with budding opener Anuj Rawat smashing a coming-of-age knock and the seasoned Kohli steering the team to the finishing line with a controlled 48.

    The bowlers too were spot on as they restricted Mumbai Indians in the first 15 overs.

    Four-time IPL champions CSK, on the other hand, have struggled badly, with barely anything to show for their efforts as they have slumped to four straight losses, the worst start ever for the side. This clash will be of symbolic importance to CSK as another loss can deal a massive blow to their already dampened spirits.

    RCB skipper Faf du Plessis will come up against the batting prowess of Moeen Ali in another interesting clash to watch out for. The former South African captain got off to a fine start as he blasted 88 in the season opener. However, since then he has been relatively quiet going by the high standards. But on his day, du Plessis can almost single-handedly change the course of the game. Moeen too is a dynamic striker of the ball and can roll his wrists as well for good measure. He was also instrumental in CSK winning the IPL last season.

    The venue is likely to favour the bowlers slightly, with a minimal presence of green that has made the ball drift in the early overs. However, a match aggregate of 400-plus runs cannot be ruled out. Teams chasing will always have the upper hand considering the dew factor and the fact that 10 T20 games out of the 13 played here have been won by the chasers.

    MUMBAI: It is going to be a clash of the heavyweights when the in-form Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) take on the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the southern derby at the DY Patil Stadium here later on Tuesday.

    An IPL clash with two former India captains in the opposing sides is a delight for the fans, but if those two happen to be the iconic Virat Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the contest takes an altogether different meaning.

    Both sides have so far had contrasting fortunes in this edition of the IPL. While RCB have been flying high on the back of superb performances from their batters as well as bowlers and are currently third on the points table after three wins in four outings, the Ravindra Jadeja-led CSK are scraping the bottom of the table after four consecutive losses.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    The Faf du Plessis-led RCB will be coming into the contest on the back of fine form as they ran riot against an off-colour Mumbai Indians with an all-round display, with budding opener Anuj Rawat smashing a coming-of-age knock and the seasoned Kohli steering the team to the finishing line with a controlled 48.

    The bowlers too were spot on as they restricted Mumbai Indians in the first 15 overs.

    Four-time IPL champions CSK, on the other hand, have struggled badly, with barely anything to show for their efforts as they have slumped to four straight losses, the worst start ever for the side. This clash will be of symbolic importance to CSK as another loss can deal a massive blow to their already dampened spirits.

    RCB skipper Faf du Plessis will come up against the batting prowess of Moeen Ali in another interesting clash to watch out for. The former South African captain got off to a fine start as he blasted 88 in the season opener. However, since then he has been relatively quiet going by the high standards. But on his day, du Plessis can almost single-handedly change the course of the game. Moeen too is a dynamic striker of the ball and can roll his wrists as well for good measure. He was also instrumental in CSK winning the IPL last season.

    The venue is likely to favour the bowlers slightly, with a minimal presence of green that has made the ball drift in the early overs. However, a match aggregate of 400-plus runs cannot be ruled out. Teams chasing will always have the upper hand considering the dew factor and the fact that 10 T20 games out of the 13 played here have been won by the chasers.

  • Momentum has taken the pressure off RCB ahead of ‘Southern Derby’: Faf du Plessis

    By IANS

    MUMBAI: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper Faf du Plessis is confident his players will not be under pressure when they clash against the Ravindra Jadeja-led Chennai Super Kings in the ‘Southern Derby later on Tuesday.

    Over the years, the contest between RCB and CSK — the four-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions — has become one of the most-anticipated clashes of the tournament, and pressure and emotions are high both on and off the field.

    However, du Plessis, who took over the reins of the side from long-serving skipper Virat Kohli, allayed fears on Tuesday that his side would likely buckle under pressure. Speaking on RCB Bold Diaries, the former South African captain — who was also part of the CSK camp between 2018 and 2021 — said, “No, we’re obviously playing some nice cricket at the moment, so we’ve got a bit of form going into the match. But we also know that Chennai are a team that you can never write off.

    “They’ve got some incredible cricketers there. So, it’s going to be a great game, and I’m looking forward to that. (Australian pace bowler Josh) Hazlewood has joined us, it’s nice for him as well; it’s his first game back, and he’s also playing against his old team.”

    RCB are coming into the contest having won three of their four games and are currently third on the IPL points table, while CSK are 10th and last after losing all their four matches so far in this edition.

    Speaking of Hazlewood, who has joined the camp, du Plessis said that the Australian quick had been made aware of the dynamics and environment of the side, and what the team expects of him in IPL 2022.

    “We have conversations with every single player in the team, just to be clear on what we expect from them, from an overall point of view, from the team dynamics, from the environment, from the culture; just making everyone feel a part of the journey.

    “And I think players enjoy that there’s communication always. I’m a big believer in over-communicating so people know exactly where they stand, what they need to do, what they’re doing well, what they need to improve on; communication for me is always really important,” added du Plessis.

    Having been in the Chennai dressing room for a long time, does it make it is easy for du Plessis to captain against them, knowing the players at CSK inside out?

    “In theory, yes because you know the players well. But the flip side is they also know me, they know my game very well as well. There’s that balance I suppose. But, yes, it helps to know a little bit more about player strengths, areas that you can hopefully try and see as a little bit of a weakness. It’s two strong teams competing, looking forward to it,” said du Plessis.

  • Momentum has taken the pressure off RCB ahead of ‘Southern Derby’: Faf du Plessis

    By IANS

    MUMBAI: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper Faf du Plessis is confident his players will not be under pressure when they clash against the Ravindra Jadeja-led Chennai Super Kings in the ‘Southern Derby later on Tuesday.

    Over the years, the contest between RCB and CSK — the four-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions — has become one of the most-anticipated clashes of the tournament, and pressure and emotions are high both on and off the field.

    However, du Plessis, who took over the reins of the side from long-serving skipper Virat Kohli, allayed fears on Tuesday that his side would likely buckle under pressure. Speaking on RCB Bold Diaries, the former South African captain — who was also part of the CSK camp between 2018 and 2021 — said, “No, we’re obviously playing some nice cricket at the moment, so we’ve got a bit of form going into the match. But we also know that Chennai are a team that you can never write off.

    “They’ve got some incredible cricketers there. So, it’s going to be a great game, and I’m looking forward to that. (Australian pace bowler Josh) Hazlewood has joined us, it’s nice for him as well; it’s his first game back, and he’s also playing against his old team.”

    RCB are coming into the contest having won three of their four games and are currently third on the IPL points table, while CSK are 10th and last after losing all their four matches so far in this edition.

    Speaking of Hazlewood, who has joined the camp, du Plessis said that the Australian quick had been made aware of the dynamics and environment of the side, and what the team expects of him in IPL 2022.

    “We have conversations with every single player in the team, just to be clear on what we expect from them, from an overall point of view, from the team dynamics, from the environment, from the culture; just making everyone feel a part of the journey.

    “And I think players enjoy that there’s communication always. I’m a big believer in over-communicating so people know exactly where they stand, what they need to do, what they’re doing well, what they need to improve on; communication for me is always really important,” added du Plessis.

    Having been in the Chennai dressing room for a long time, does it make it is easy for du Plessis to captain against them, knowing the players at CSK inside out?

    “In theory, yes because you know the players well. But the flip side is they also know me, they know my game very well as well. There’s that balance I suppose. But, yes, it helps to know a little bit more about player strengths, areas that you can hopefully try and see as a little bit of a weakness. It’s two strong teams competing, looking forward to it,” said du Plessis.

    MUMBAI: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper Faf du Plessis is confident his players will not be under pressure when they clash against the Ravindra Jadeja-led Chennai Super Kings in the ‘Southern Derby later on Tuesday.

    Over the years, the contest between RCB and CSK — the four-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions — has become one of the most-anticipated clashes of the tournament, and pressure and emotions are high both on and off the field.

    However, du Plessis, who took over the reins of the side from long-serving skipper Virat Kohli, allayed fears on Tuesday that his side would likely buckle under pressure. Speaking on RCB Bold Diaries, the former South African captain — who was also part of the CSK camp between 2018 and 2021 — said, “No, we’re obviously playing some nice cricket at the moment, so we’ve got a bit of form going into the match. But we also know that Chennai are a team that you can never write off.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “They’ve got some incredible cricketers there. So, it’s going to be a great game, and I’m looking forward to that. (Australian pace bowler Josh) Hazlewood has joined us, it’s nice for him as well; it’s his first game back, and he’s also playing against his old team.”

    RCB are coming into the contest having won three of their four games and are currently third on the IPL points table, while CSK are 10th and last after losing all their four matches so far in this edition.

    Speaking of Hazlewood, who has joined the camp, du Plessis said that the Australian quick had been made aware of the dynamics and environment of the side, and what the team expects of him in IPL 2022.

    “We have conversations with every single player in the team, just to be clear on what we expect from them, from an overall point of view, from the team dynamics, from the environment, from the culture; just making everyone feel a part of the journey.

    “And I think players enjoy that there’s communication always. I’m a big believer in over-communicating so people know exactly where they stand, what they need to do, what they’re doing well, what they need to improve on; communication for me is always really important,” added du Plessis.

    Having been in the Chennai dressing room for a long time, does it make it is easy for du Plessis to captain against them, knowing the players at CSK inside out?

    “In theory, yes because you know the players well. But the flip side is they also know me, they know my game very well as well. There’s that balance I suppose. But, yes, it helps to know a little bit more about player strengths, areas that you can hopefully try and see as a little bit of a weakness. It’s two strong teams competing, looking forward to it,” said du Plessis.