Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli heaped heavy praise on the duo of AB de Villiers and Marcus Stoinis who played key roles in leading their team to their third consecutive win, the latest coming against Kings XI Punjab.
Despite the winning streak, Kohli said his side his just looking to enjoy on the field rather than taking needless pressure of qualifying for the play-offs.
“We have now won 4 out of the last 5 we games that we have played, it could have been 5 out of 5. We are just looking to enjoy our cricket. Tonight was another example of having fun. The partnership of ABD and Stoinis changed the match for us,” said Kohli at the post-match presentation ceremony.
Bangalore were reduced to 81 for 4 at one stage before an unbeaten 121-run stand between de Villiers and Stoinis propelled them to 202 for 4.
“At one stage we thought 175 was good but AB and Marcus got us past 200. The way they played was the deciding factor.
“Our only focus was to play good as a team, we know that we are a good side, losing 6 in a row hurt all of us. None of us had been in such a situation. That big break before Mohali helped us. It is important that we don’t take any pressure. We just need to play how the world knows we can play.”
In reply, Punjab were at a pretty solid position but Bangalore bowlers were surprisingly outstanding in the death overs and gave nothing away.
“When two left-handers came in, we got a lot of dot balls and that was a crucial factor for us. Having 6-7 bowling options is a luxury for any team. I can pick and choose who is bowling well. Marcus brings in a lot of balance to our team. It was an outstanding effort by the bowlers today.”
Meanwhile, de Villiers was named Man of the Match for his 44-ball 82*.
“I tried to stay calm in the last few overs. It is not easy always, the game is happening at a rapid pace. We know our home ground very well, it hasn’t been a great hunting ground for us to start with but we are turning things around now. And we are doing things well now. We are doing good as a team now,” said the former South Africa cricketer.
“I still think 160 was a par score but it gets easier in the second innings. Our bowlers executed their plans to perfection in the end.”
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