Perennial underachievers Royal Challengers Bangalore endured another disappointing IPL campaign but its performance in the second half of the season has given it something to be proud of, skipper Virat Kohli has said.
Royal Challengers Bangalore acknowledges the fans support after its last league game at home
Bangalore:
“If we focus on the second half, it is exactly what we wanted in the first half. After losing your first six matches, it is very difficult to come back in a tournament like IPL. We have a lot to learn from this season,” said Kohli at the post-match presentation after RCB beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by four wickets here on Saturday.
“The first couple of things matters a lot in setting the intensity. We are happy with the way guys have turned things around and the kind of cricket that we have played in the second half. A lot of credit goes to the team management for getting us back in the right frame of mind.”
RCB, which has never won the IPL, failed to make the play-offs for the third year in a row but Kohli said he was proud of his team for putting up a much-improved performance in the second half of the season.
“We haven’t finished in the position that we wanted to. But because the second half has been so good it doesn’t feel like a bad season. We won last 5 off our 7 matches and with one no-result, it is something that we can be proud of,” said Kohli.
After losing its first six games, RCB won five out of its eight games with one not producing a result to end with 11 points.
“If we focus on the second half, it is exactly what we wanted in the first half. After losing your first six matches, it is very difficult to come back in a tournament like IPL. We have a lot to learn from this season,” said Kohli at the post-match presentation after RCB beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by four wickets here on Saturday.
“The first couple of things matters a lot in setting the intensity. We are happy with the way guys have turned things around and the kind of cricket that we have played in the second half. A lot of credit goes to the team management for getting us back in the right frame of mind.”
RCB, which has never won the IPL, failed to make the play-offs for the third year in a row but Kohli said he was proud of his team for putting up a much-improved performance in the second half of the season.
“We haven’t finished in the position that we wanted to. But because the second half has been so good it doesn’t feel like a bad season. We won last 5 off our 7 matches and with one no-result, it is something that we can be proud of,” said Kohli.