'Great players go through phases like this and we wanted to get him in the game straightaway'
Their pace attack has been the most fearsome this IPL season but Sunrisers Hyderabad swing bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar feels it would be a tough task for his team to counter the marauding Royal Challengers Bangalore batsmen when the two teams clash in the final on Sunday. Hyderabad edged out Gujarat Lions by four wickets on Friday in Qualifier 2 to set up a summit clash with Bangalore, who had beaten the same opponents in Qualifier 1. "We will definitely strategise because I read somewhere the other day that Virat Kohli has scored 35 per cent of RCB's runs. It'll be a big task for us to get (Chris) Gayle, Virat (Kohli) and AB (De Villers) and later, (Shane) Watson, out. We are hoping for a good contest," Bhuvneshwar said at the post match press conference in New Delhi.
Images from the IPl match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
It will be a test of Virat Kohli's tactical acumen against the ice-cool demeanour of Eoin Morgan when perennial underachievers Royal Challengers Bangalore clash with former champions Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL Eliminator in Sharjah on Monday.
India's captain asserted that there was nothing wrong with India's choice of bowlers as they needed to score more runs in order to let their spinners call the shots.
RCB found the going tough as they could score only 36 runs from the Powerplay overs.
Both Jaiswal and du Plessis, the leading run-getters in IPL 2023 so far, are in scintillating form. While du Plessis is leading the scoring charts with 576 runs from 11 innings, including six half centuries and a best of 84, Jaiswal is a close second with 575 runs from 12 matches, which includes four fifties and a 124-run knock.
Images from the IPL 2022 Playoff Eliminator match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Lucknow Super Giants
Virat Kohli hopes RCB will keep the focus and execute things properly to maintain the momentum.
VVirat Kohli's franchise wants to unite fans on an innovative digital community platform.
Images from the IPL 2023 match between Royal Challengers and Bangalore and Lucknow Super Giants played at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Monday
That moment of magic was provided by one magical over from Rajasthan's Kuldeep Sen.
An ugly spat occurred between Royal Challengers Bangalore bowler Harshal Patel and Mumbai batsman Ambati Rayudu in the IPL match between the two sides and the home team captain came in defence of his player.
Pacer Josh Hazlewood expressed happiness after his three-wicket haul helped Royal Challengers Bangalore bet Delhi Capitals by 16 runs in the IPL match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday.
RCB posted a photo of AB de Villiers on Twitter
Left to lick their wounds after losing their last three matches in a row, Royal Challengers Bangalore will look to return to winning ways when they take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in their first home match in IPL 7 in Bangalore on Saturday.
Virat Kohli called his bowlers' profligacy 'criminal' after Chennai Super Kings chased down a steep target of 206
Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli admitted that his team has not played as a unit, resulting in five defeats in eight games, including the 32-run loss to Kings XI Punjab on Friday.
If you drop Virat Kohli's catch, it's bound to give you nightmares.
5 instances when teams didn't cross the 70 run mark in 13 seasons.
RCB slumped to their fifth defeat in seven games after failing to defend 176 against KKR on Sunday night.
Anushka Sharma was ecstatic about RCB's victory.
PHOTOS of the IPL 2023 match between Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Ekana Sports City in Lucknow on Monday.
For KKR, the biggest cause of concern will be the availability of big-hitter Andre Russell, who hurt his knee when he dived into the advertisement boards after missing a catch on Saturday.
RCB will be strengthened further when the immensely-talented Devdutt Padikkal makes the team after his recovery from COVID-19.
Dismissing suggestions that Virat Kohli should open the batting in the T20 World Cup, former India opener Gautam Gambhir has firmly backed K L Rahul to do the job, saying the out-of-form batter has "probably got more ability".
Simply blown away by their pyrotechnics, West Indies left-hander Chris Gayle compared Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers to Marvel comics' superheroes 'Batman' and 'Superman', as the duo lit up the Indian Premier League with some dazzling display of top quality batsmanship.
India captain Virat Kohli said he won't mind sitting out one or two matches in IPL-12 to stay fit and fresh for the ICC World Cup.
RCB batting and fielding coach Trent Woodhill feels out-of-form West Indies opener Chris Gayle should take a cue from skipper Virat Kohli's batting and try regain his old touch.
Royals Challengers Bangalore will start as overwhelming favourites against bottom-placed Kings XI.
Virat Kohli, who has given up the RCB captaincy, was retained along with Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell and young pace bowler Mohammed Siraj.
Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli on Saturday said his side will not take the good showing in the first leg of the IPL for granted, adding that latest additions, including Sri Lanka's Wanidu Hasaranga and Dushmantha Chameera, have added a new dimension to the team.
Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli insists that the team, whose best finish over the last seven editions of the IPL is runners-up in 2009 and 2011, can will the title this time.
Kohli seemed delighted to see his India teammate make an excellent return after a long injury layoff.
RCB are placed at the bottom of the eight-team standings with only nine points following eight defeats and four victories.
Royal Challengers Bangalore will have rise to the occasion when they take on the already-eliminated Delhi Daredevil
With five consecutive defeats, bottom-placed RCB have the daunting task of winning their remaining seven games to keep their play-off prospects alive.
Royal Challengers Bangalore will look to exploit the home advantage when they take on Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Desperate to get their campaigns back on track, the two bottom placed teams in the Indian Premier League -- Kings XI Punjab and Royal Challengers Bangalore -- lock horns in Mohali on Monday, aiming to keep their winning momentum going to stay afloat in the ninth edition of the T20 league.
Faf du Plessis showed why he continues to be among the top-rated batters in T20 cricket at the D Y Patil stadium on Tuesday night.
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