Royal Challengers Bengaluru went to the top of the table after the win against Kolkata Knight Riders at Raipur. It was a high scoring thriller with Kolkata Knight Riders batting first and posting 193/3 in the first innings. Chasing the target, Virat Kohli smashed a century as RCB cruised through the chase in the final over. It was an entertaining game and the King once again rose to the occasion.
KKR 193/5 (Raghusvanshi 71, Bhuvneshwar 1/34) lost to RCB 195/5 (Kohli 105*, Tyagi 3/32)
Devdutt Padikkal: (Another good win for you boys tonight?) Yeah, definitely. It was an important game for us. We wanted to make sure that we keep putting pressure on the rest of the sides and I'm glad that we did that today. (About his good form) Yeah, it's been going good. I think it's important that I keep this momentum going and keep contributing to the side. And as long as I'm doing that, I'm happy. (About Kohli's knock) Yeah, like I have said many times, it's incredible to bat alongside him. He does this so often. If you wake him up any time of the day, he's going to come and do that in a run chase. So it was really great to see some exquisite shots and obviously, just watching and learning. (Does Virat get nervous?) I don't think so because like at this point, I don't think he needs to be nervous. He's done this so many times. He's scored so many runs. You saw he got his 14,000th run today. So I don't think that requires any nervousness. (RCB need to keep up this momentum?) Yeah, of course. We want to finish in that top two spots and we are looking to do that and hopefully we continue to win games and that momentum will carry us through to the playoffs.
Ajinkya Rahane | KKR captain:
I mean, we thought 190 was actually a competitive total on that wicket. The batters who batted in the middle, those middle overs, they thought it was a very good total. You can always say that after the game, 10-15 runs here and there, but I thought it was a very good effort by the batters. Last 3-4 games, throughout the tournament, our fielding was really good. While defending the total, catch of Virat Kohli sometimes, you know, you want to hang on to one of the catch because this wicket was slightly tricky, not an easy wicket to a new batter. That was the difference, I felt, but overall I thought it was a good score, a challenging score on this wicket. (The new ball did come on to the bat nicely, didn't it?) Yes, I mean, first six overs, we knew that it was going to be easy, but after that, I mean, throughout the tournament, last five games, our spinners bowled really well. Those middle overs really, actually, took wickets as well. But as I said, credit goes to Virat Kohli and that partnership of him and Devdutt Padikkal, that was the moment for them. (About the dropped catches) Yes, and I mean, Virat, we all know that while chasing the total, he is a dangerous player. Anyway, he's a dangerous player, but Devdutt Padikkal, he's batting really well in this tournament. So, taking those catches, that's what really helped us in the last four matches. But these things have happened. The guys are working really hard, but you can drop catches. That's okay. (About Kartik Tyagi) He's been really good for us, working really hard. What I like about him is the clear mindset, what he wants to execute while bowling. And that's a really great sign.
Rajat Patidar | RCB captain:
(How's the head?) It's okay. I'm okay. It was a proper head shot (laughs). (What does that mean to you guys being top of the table now?) Of course, it feels great. You know, you've play well in the tournament and I think everyone came in the different stage and doing [well] for the team. I think that's a great sign. And being at the top of the table, it's always a good thing. Good for the team. And as I said, we are taking just one game at a time, one step at a time. (How satisfied were you at the halfway mark?) Very much satisfied, I would say, because after 10 overs, the way we controlled their innings, because after 10 overs, before 10 overs, I think they were, when it [run-rate] was around 10-11. So from there, I think we restricted them on 194 or something. It's a good sign for us. (Do you see that as a combination for another couple of games to come?) No, definitely it was, I would say it was for the conditions. So because last game we played on the same track and there was a variable bounce and two-paced wicket. So that's why we played four seamers. (On Kohli) I think it's a great one. I think, I don't know words, but I think he's used to doing great things. (How well are you set up to close out the league stage?) As I said, we have played good cricket, two more league games and we are just doing one game at a time. And as we know, from here we are travelling to Dharamshala. It's a good track, good batting track. So we will try our best to win that game and then Hyderabad. (Status on Salt) I don't know, but I think he will come soon.
Virat Kohli | PotM :
(On his 9th IPL ton) Well, the celebration wasn't a big one because we know the importance of the points right now. And yeah, look, for me, it's a conscious effort to try and contribute to the team's scores. And I know if I bat for long enough in the game, our chances of winning become higher. So the fact that I didn't get many runs in the last two games was, it eats me up in a way that I know I can play well and I'm hitting the ball well. But then when you don't carry on and you know, you haven't created the impact for the team, it bothers you because that's basically been the goal all these years, trying to improve so that you can be the best version for your team when you play out there and make an impact. So, yeah, century or no century, I think the more important thing is finishing the game, making sure that I was out there till the end to get those two points, which again, puts us at the top of the table. (Any pressure?) Well, there's a reason why people say pressure is a privilege. It actually keeps you humble, keeps you focused, makes you work hard at practice again. You can't take things for granted. Butterflies in the stomach, good pressure always helps you to improve your game. So I was in the nets working harder. Training harder, you tend to, when you're playing well, you can tend to kind of taper off a little bit with your intensity and focus. But I think a couple of games that don't go your way, you start feeling a bit of nervousness again. It helps you to go out there and work on your game and back yourself even more, which takes a lot of effort out of you. But then I think you go a level up as a player and then you keep improving your game little by little. And at the end of the day, when you look back, those failures are so important because they put you back into the place that gets you the performances in the first place and it doesn't let you go off your intense best. So I think that's why people say pressure is a privilege. And of course, I was nervous. I just wanted to get off the mark and just celebrate and have a bit of fun there.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru moved to the top of the table with this win and with such a high NRR they have a great chance of finishing in the top two. On the other hand, Kolkata Knight Riders are almost eliminated and they will nwith this loss.
