IPL 2018: RCB are desperate to win, says coach Daniel Vettori

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) are on the verge of being eliminated from the 2018 Indian Premier League. They lie a lowly seventh among eight teams in the IPL 2018 points table and need to win their last two games to hang in there by a thread as their qualification for the playoffs also depends on the results of others.

After seven losses and only three wins in 10 games, the Virat Kohli-led outfit were almost down and out when they were rejuvenated with back-to-back wins against Delhi Daredevils and Kings XI Punjab. In desperate times, they need to deliver to have any hopes of making it to the final week of the tournament. “We have to give ourselves the opportunity. Kohli has spoken to the team about the need to be desperate as we are desperate to win. We should be carefree, that’s when we play our best. Virat been amazing, his versatility, the way he led against on KXIP,” said RCB head coach Daniel Vettori.

Though it will be a tough game against Sunrisers Hyderabad, who will play fearless cricket having already made it to Qualifier 1, a repeat of their performance against Kings XI should be more than enough to get the job done at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday. RCB on Monday thrashed the Ravichandran Ashwin-led team by 10 wickets after Umesh Yadav and company bowled out Kings XI for a meagre 88 runs. Vettori lauded their lead pace bowler, who is one of the leading wicket-takers of IPL 2018 with 17 scalps. “Umesh is very skilful, has been a regular wicket-taker for us and has the experience too.” RCB has quite regularly changed their playing XI but Vettori defended it by saying that they did it to find the right balance. “We have filled the gaps and balanced out the team. Every team is on the path to find the right balance.”