Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Rajat Patidar credited the batters for approaching the Qualifier 1 game with an “attacking mindset”, as they beat Gujarat Titans by 92 runs to enter back-to-back IPL finals.
Patidar powered RCB post a massive score of 254 for five as the RCB captain slammed 93 not out off 33 balls. In reply, GT were bundled out for 162 in 19.3 overs.
“(It was a) super game for us, the way the batters dominated, striking with intent, was good for us. It wasn’t a clear plan, but we were ready for it, have to show some body language that we are ready for you, every batter showed it, attacking mindset,” Patidar told the broadcaster after the match.
“I take a few balls 8-10 balls to see how the wicket is doing and then I have a clear mind to go about it, I’m not worried about my wicket. I try and put the bowler under pressure.
“The wicket was not that easy to get under the ball and hit, there was variable bounce. The way GT played till now, we were clear we had to get their three main batters out in the powerplay, and it worked,” he said.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who reclaimed the Purple Cap by returning another brilliant spell of 3 for 28, credited the support staff for working on the plans to be executed by the RCB bowlers.
“A lot of credit goes to the men behind the scenes, the kind of plans and the way we executed those plans. The experience of Hoff (Josh Hazlewood) and me is useful, but the support staff has been outstanding,” he said.
“They set up the plans and we’re executing. I can say we’re data informed, if there’s places where we can improve, we do refer it, but we don’t go 100 per cent. We make a lot of effort not to give room, get those leg-before wickets and bowled, we do a lot of planning,” Bhuvneshwar added.
Gujarat Titans’ skipper Shubman Gill conceded it was not their day after the 2022 champions chasing 255, were reeling at 88 for 8 in 11.2 overs.
“We were going pretty well up until the 12th, 13th over, and I don’t think our fielding was at par, dropping a couple of catches, and then our ground fielding was not up to the mark,” Gill said.
“This is one of those games that we’d like to forget and start over in Mohali.”
“I don’t think it was our day, the intensity was right there, but under pressure situations, we were not up to the mark,” he added.
Gill said GT missed the opportunity of making a good start in the powerplay and if they had they really had a good chance of chasing down the target.
“It’s all about getting a good start. If you get a good powerplay and on a ground like this we know the ball travels and the outfield is also very quick,” he said.
“If you (GT) would have gotten off to a good start in the powerplay, any target with the kind of way the wicket was playing and the kind of ground that we were playing at, it could have been chaseable,” he added.
