IPL 2016: KL Rahul confident about Royal Challengers Bangalore's entry into play-offs

KL Rahul’s 68 off 53 balls against the Mumbai Indians went in vain

Royal Challengers Bangalore batsman KL Rahul said that the team is confident about the team getting back on track and winning the next four matches, which are crucial for them to make it to the play-offs. RCB lost the match against Mumbai Indians by six wickets on May 11 and the defeat has now put them in a critical do-or-die situation.

Rahul said that the team is looking ahead to redeem themselves. "In T20s, extras at the end of the day will cost you games. They say catches win games and giving less number of extras will build pressure on the batsmen. The bowlers were trying to get wickets that time, and we needed wickets; that was the only thing that could have won us the game. So they backed themselves to get something right but didn't execute it too well this game, but it happens with everybody. We need to look at our plans ahead for the coming games and back ourselves," he said, defending the bowlers.

Rahul also felt that the team had performed well to have made it to the 19th over while defending a decent total on the ground. He also believes that the plans are devisable.

"The plans are clear: we need to win all our games. I honestly believe that the team is peaking; the batting has come together, we're fielding well, we're taking some good catches, the bowling is getting better and better with each game."

The wicket at M. Chinnaswamy was rather damp, which made the play difficult for the RCB batsmen in the first innings. It eventually eased out when MI set out to chase, and made 152 with the help of some heavy hitting at the back end of their innings.

RCB lost their big-hitting openers Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli within the first overs for single-digit scores, and they had managed to put just 17 runs on the board. AB de Villiers and KL Rahul came to the rescue and saved the team by adding 43 runs in 39 balls. Rahul was unbeaten on 68 off 53 balls and helped RCB reach 151.

"After losing Virat and Chris early, we had to change plans obviously. The wicket was sticky, a bit damp so it wasn't easy to go out there and start hitting the ball straightaway. That's what I and AB discussed - to take our time initially and if we batted out ten overs, then we could look at a target after that," he said.

With eight points from 10 games, RCB is in sixth position on the table, facing a stiff competition from Mumbai Indians and Delhi Daredevils. They will take on the Gujarat Lions on May 14 in Bangalore.