Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) fifth consecutive IPL victory on UAE soil once again proved why experience truly matters. The MS Dhoni-led side defeated Royal Challengers (RCB) by six wickets at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday to atop the IPl 2021 points table. RCB skipper Virat Kohli, whose team was once in a position of total command, explained where his team lacked.
Kohli, along with fellow opener Devdutt Padikkal, put on 111 runs for the opening stand. He got out on 53, while the latter scored 70. Moreover, RCB had reached 90 in 10 overs with 10 wickets in hand. Yet, they could only manage 156/6 in 20 overs.
That's not in. In the second innings, their bowlers looked lackluster and did not threaten to snatch the game away from CSK at any point. Despite losing wickets in clusters, the Chennai outfit romped home to victory with 11 balls to spare.
RCB's overall performance left Kohli extremely disappointed.
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"We could've got 175, that could've been a winning total. The pitch had a lot to offer but our bowlers could not make use. They got away with too many boundary opportunities. They bowled well in their back end and executed the yorkers when needed. It was difficult for us to get elevation, and only bad balls could be put away. We then gave too many boundary balls. We spoke of areas we didn't want them to hit, but we couldn't do that.
{{/usCountry}}"We could've got 175, that could've been a winning total. The pitch had a lot to offer but our bowlers could not make use. They got away with too many boundary opportunities. They bowled well in their back end and executed the yorkers when needed. It was difficult for us to get elevation, and only bad balls could be put away. We then gave too many boundary balls. We spoke of areas we didn't want them to hit, but we couldn't do that.
{{/usCountry}}"The X-Factor was missing in the first five overs with the ball. But it's very important to execute balls during the crunch moments. Those few moments... that's what we failed to capitalize on. We need to get on a winning run again. This game is more disappointing than the first one. We were on top and then gave it all away... That is not acceptable to us as a team," explained Kohli.
This was RCB's second loss on the trot since the beginning of phase 2. They next play five-time champions Mumbai Indians on Sunday.