IPL 2020: Played Good Enough Cricket to Earn Qualification for Playoffs, Says Virat Kohli

Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli feels that the team performed well to earn the spot in the knockouts, a position earned despite losing four matches in a row. RCB secured their playoff spot even though they lost their last league stage match to Delhi Capitals by six wickets in Abu Dhabi, after their opponents took more than 17.3 overs to complete the task, helping the Bangalore based side to finish the league stage engagements with better net run rate than Kolkata Knight Riders.

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"Through the 11th over, the 17.3 over mark was informed by the management. I think we controlled the middle phase really well and they could've taken the game away from us. We are happy that we've qualified. Top two would've been really very nice. But I think we've played good enough cricket to earn a qualification spot. You could say just before the qualification, the mindset was a little bit tentative," said Kohli.

Securing their first playoffs since 2016, Kohli is now confident that RCB has the potential to bounce back and win the remaining two games to make the final, also for the first time since 2016.

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"You could say just before the qualification, the mindset was a little bit tentative. We've got two games to reach the final. We have a shot, an opportunity and that's all we want as a team", he added.

"I'm sure the guys will be excited about what's ahead for us. We can be more brave with the bat in pockets," the RCB captain further said.

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Put to bat first, RCB set 153 run target for the DC as opener Devdutt Padikkal continued his good form with the bat with 41-ball 50 while AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli scored 35 and 29 respectively.

In reply, getting their act together in the nick of time after a two-week winless run, DC chased down a target of 153 with six balls to spare. Opener Shikhar Dhawan (54) and Ajinkya Rahane (64) struck fine half-centuries to power DC to their target.

"With the ball, we were decent, probably we could have a strong Powerplay which is our strength. If we implement those things, we'll be at the right end of the result. It's important to stay positive. There are going to be learning along the way, but we are glad that we are through," Kohli assessed at the end of the match.

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RCB will now learn the fate of their opposition for the Eliminator on Tuesday. If Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Mumbai Indians in the final league game of IPL 2020 in Dubai, RCB will face SRH. In the case of the opposite, KKR will be RCB's opponent.

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