Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have the last laugh against Gujarat Titans (GT) in a close encounter, but captain Faf du Plessis admitted to underestimating the target after a tense finish. RCB's chase got off to a flying start with Faf Du Plessis and Virat Kohli amassing a quick 92 runs in the powerplay. However, Du Plessis' dismissal triggered a collapse, with RCB losing five wickets for just 24 runs. The middle-order collapse threatened to derail the chase, but a crucial cameo from Dinesh Karthik and a composed knock from Swapnil Singh secured the win for RCB. Speaking at the post-match presentation, Du Plessis acknowledged the miscalculation in their run chase but highlighted the team's recent resurgence. He praised RCB's performance across all departments, which has propelled them to seventh place in the IPL 2024 points table.
Du Plessis acknowledges miscalculation in RCB's chase
"We've been really good in the last few games, with both bat and ball. We've been unbelievable in the field as well. The wicket was a bit different, there was a bit more bounce. Wanted to make sure we take that information from the pitch and give it to the bowlers. Yes there was a dropped catch but it's the effort that we look for and that was there throughout," said Du Plessis at the post-match press conference.
Du Plessis admitted to misjudging the target on the wicket. He believed a score of 180-190 would have been a safe total to defend. During the chase, he revealed their focus was on playing their shots rather than scoreboard pressure. However, the dramatic collapse from a seemingly comfortable position left Du Plessis nervous. He acknowledged the need for composure after losing wickets, stating that the team should have remained calm and regrouped after the initial slump.
"The games we've played here have all been high-scoring, anything around 180-190 would've been par. Was important we didn't look at the scoreboard when we went out to bat and try and play the way we play. Was a bit nervous. Probably not the best assessment from us there. Yes we wanted to go out there and get the total quickly to boost the NRR but probably when we were 4 down, we had to calm down a little bit," Du Plessis concluded.
While this win against GT injects a dose of hope into the RCB camp, as they have managed to keep themselves afloat in the playoff race, which still looks far-fetched for them. RCB need to win all their remaining matches and rely on favorable results from other teams to even have a chance at reaching the knockout stages.
RCB will next face Punjab Kings (PBKS) on May 9 while GT will lock horns with CSK on May 10.
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