IPL 2021: "Jaddu took the game away from us, you can say one guy beat us" - Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli, speaking at the post-match presentation after the game against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), said that a loss such as this is a good wake-up call for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
Before this game, RCB had won four matches in a row and were at the top of the points table. But with this defeat, they have fallen to second place.
MS Dhoni and his men decimated Virat Kohli's side by a huge 69-run margin. Several things went wrong for the Bengaluru-based franchise in this game, which the RCB skipper said they'd like to retrospect.
"You have to look at it the right way. It's come at the right time for us. We've been on a roll this tournament; you are going to lose games. You have to understand the things that went wrong and what are the things you need to keep getting better at. I think this is positive feedback for our side. It's good to get a performance like this out of the way early in the season," Virat Kohli said.
Virat Kohli regretted not capitalizing on the key moments and added that Ravindra Jadeja took the game away. The southpaw scored 62 runs, picked up three wickets and was also involved in a run-out in this match.
"We were there most of the moments in the game, but the key ones we lost badly. Jaddu displaying his skills took the game away from us. You can probably say one guy beat us," Virat Kohli added.
"Will continue to give Harshal Patel responsibility" - Virat Kohli
The current Purple Cap holder, Harshal Patel, had a forgettable outing in this match. He was brilliant in his first three overs, where he picked up three wickets and conceded only 14 runs. But in his final over, he ended up giving 37 runs to the opposition.
Virat Kohli, though, has exhibited his belief in the 30-year-old pacer and mentioned that the team would continue to give him the task of bowling the tough overs. He said:
"We will continue to give him responsibility. (Harshal) he got both the set batsmen out and plucked all the momentum away. We have to look at this in the right way. Brush it aside and learn from it."
Kohli also mentioned that RCB has no plans to promote Glenn Maxwell or AB de Villiers to No. 3, saying that the two players batting down the order give them depth in the batting line-up.
"We will continue to use guys at 3 because we have Maxi and AB to follow. We will continue to use that depth. We'll throw in guys there and ask them to change the game for us," the 32-year-old added.
Speaking about Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli said:
"He is someone I've believed a lot in the past. His ability has been there for everyone to see. He's been out of the game because of that injury after Australia. I am very happy to see him perform with the bat, ball and on the field. After two months, we're back to Indian cricket. You always want your premier all-rounder to be in a good space, to perform well. I hope he keeps doing this more often because when he's confident and plays well, that opens up so many options not just for Chennai but for Indian cricket also."
RCB will play their next game against the Delhi Capitals (DC) on April 27 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.