Virat Kohli reflects on ‘pain’ of Royal Challengers Bangalore losing six consecutive IPL 2019 games

Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore had made a disastrous start to the 2019 Indian Premier League by losing six consecutive games, equaling Delhi Daredevils’ worst losing streak. The team was down and out and it seemed they would once again finish with the wooden spoon. However, Royal Challengers Bangalore staged a spectacular comeback, winning four out of the next five games as they still remained in the hunt for the playoffs. Following their win over Kings XI Punjab, Kohli spoke about how the six consecutive losses at the start of the tournament affected the team and how they have staged a comeback since.

“Yeah, we've won four of the five. Could have been five out of five. We were just looking to enjoy cricket and tonight was a great example of having fun. We know how we play. The world knows how we play. Losing six in a row really hurt us. Literally, no one in the team has been part of such a streak. So we just refreshed, thought about just enjoying ourselves and the important thing now is not to take on any pressure,” Kohli said.

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With Royal Challengers Bangalore staging a comeback, Kings XI Punjab is in the midst of a slump having lost four out of their last five games. Ravichandran Ashwin, the Kings XI Punjab skipper said the bowling in the powerplay left a lot to be desired and added that experience in the middle order could have helped them chase down 204.

“If we had more experience in the middle order, we could have done something. We are right into it (playoffs). It's all about getting one win and we'll get on a roll. Like RCB. It's important to keep trust in the players. We've held on to the same batting order through the tournament. Giving players a chance. It's really important to back the players. We were always in the game. We haven't been outplayed by any opposition. The one area we need to work on is Powerplay bowling and the death overs. It's time the bowlers stood up there,” Ashwin said.

Kings XI Punjab will now take on Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International stadium in Uppal while Royal Challengers Bangalore face a crucial encounter against Delhi Capitals at the Feroz Shah Kotla on April 28.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Rajasthan Royals are currently at the bottom of the table in IPL 2019.
• Royal Challengers Bangalore's next game is against Delhi Capitals.
• Kings XI Punjab will now face Sunrisers Hyderabad in a crucial clash.