A crestfallen Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Faf du Plessis conceded that a string of defeats had taken a toll on the team and the confidence had hit an all-time low after losing by 25 runs to Sunrisers Hyderabad in a match where a plethora of batting records were eclipsed. SRH posted an all-time IPL record total of 287 for 3 and then restricted RCB to 262 for 7 as 38 maximums were hit across two innings. The match also entered the record books for the highest cumulative match total of 549 scored by both teams.
“It’s crazy the amount of runs scored today, a world record. I wouldn’t say 270 is par, Danny. It’s tough (to bowl on a day like this), we tried a few things and they weren’t quite working,” Du Plessis said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
Just like winning provides a lot of confidence, back-to-back defeat can also rob teams off it, feels the former Proteas skipper.
“There’s no way to hide when your confidence is low. The fast bowlers found it quite difficult out there. Similar to the batting perspective, we need to work on a few areas. Need to make sure the run rate doesn’t go down after powerplay. The guys put up their hands and never gave up (in the run chase). It was good to see the fight, 30-40 runs from the bowling perspective was a bit too much.” Du Plessis admitted that the pressure is way too much and mind could explode at any time.
“It’s important to go away and freshen your mind, it’s such a mental game. Sometimes you feel your mind is going to explode. When you get back to the contest you have to give full commitment,” the RCB skipper said.
Winning skipper Cummins, who was the best bowler on view among the two teams, also said in jest how he wished that he was a batter on days like these.
“Wish I was a batter,” Cummins could afford to smile after his team emerged victorious. The SRH skipper said that when his team scored 277 a few weeks back, he never thought that total could be surpassed.
“Against Mumbai a few weeks ago, I thought it won’t happen again, but it has happened again. Give me a few more years please (on whether bowlers will go extinct)! It feels like you bowl an over for seven or eight feels great.” The Chinnaswamy track seemed a bit slower in earlier games but things have indeed changed.
“I’ve given up trying to read the pitches,” Cummins said.
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