Royal Challengers Bangalore demoralized, says coach Daniel Vettori

Dismal performances and heavy losses have become a common trait for the Royal Challengers Bangalore team this season, much to the disappointment of coach Daniel Vettori. RCB have failed to record a victory since their win over the Gujarat Lions, which saw Chris Gayle strike some form. They have gained just 1 point in their last four games, thanks to a washout at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The RCB players have found it hard to get things going for them and come out of their current low. Their confidence seems to be snuffed out after yet another massive defeat to the Rising Pune Supergiant. Chasing 158, the Royal Challengers Bangalore were restricted to a mere 96/9 in their entire 20 overs.

It looks as though the effect of the bizarre collapse at the Eden Gardens hasn’t worn off completely. In their last three matches, the Royal Challengers have aggregated just 279 runs and were 1 wicket away from being bundled out consecutively 3 times. With 7 defeats out of the 10 games they’ve played, RCB will need nothing short of a miracle to make it to the playoffs.

Coach Vettori admitted that the team has seriously under-performed this season. “We just try to get the guys confidence, allow them to play in the manner which we expect. RCB’s catch phrase is to play bold and that’s what we talked to the guys, ‘just go out there and play the kind of game you can irrespective of the score or start of the game,'” he said.

“Probably, some of the wickets we played on made it tricky for the guys to go out there and play. They were difficult wickets to bat on, but that’s no excuse as both teams had exactly the same wicket,” the former New Zealand spinner said.

Despite boasting of one of the most star-studded batting line-ups in the IPL, RCB’s repeated capitulations have simply been astonishing. Virat Kohli’s 55 was the only bright spot in an otherwise disastrous batting performance from the RCB in Pune. Gayle’s inconsistency with the bat at the top has led him to warm the bench, while AB de Villiers has looked nothing like his old self at the crease.

“You try and do a lot of things in the background. In the last two years we started off poorly, but were able to rectify it. Unfortunately, we have not been able to do it this time. It’s about building confidence within the group because you can see that at the moment. It is hard for the guys to take control of their games. We haven’t had that belief to allow us to build the confidence, which is the trickiest thing so far,” Vettori admitted.

RCB’s chances of making the playoffs are extremely thin. However, the Kiwi wasn’t keen on criticizing the players. “It’s not the time yet to assess the campaign. We still have four games left. It will be important for the pride of the franchise. Before we gather ourselves, we have a pretty tough schedule with four games in nine days,” he said.

Perhaps the Royal Challengers Bangalore are dearly missing the likes of KL Rahul and Sarfaraz Khan, who have both been sidelined with injuries. The current team has lacked intent, and the batsmen have been afraid to play shots with the fear of losing their wicket. In a word, the Royal Challengers Bangalore have played far from ‘bold’ cricket.

“Last season we had a different batting line-up with the likes of KL Rahul and Sarfaraz Khan. We had a number of other guys who underperformed, which we didn’t expect of them. Virat has led us exceptionally well with his captaincy, with his batting. He’s been the lone light. So, the group knows where we are not performing and we need to rectify it in our next few games,” Vettori concluded.