'We handled the pressure better'

 “Kochi has a very good side and they have a lot of experience in their top order. Brendon McCullum is a dangerous opponent and a world-class batsman while VVS has loads of experience and it’s difficult to bowl to them. In the first six overs, we went for 10 an over but did well take a few wickets and keep the scoring rate down. It was a crucial period and overall, we handled the pressure situations better,” de Villiers told reporters after bagging the man of the match award for his well-paced unbeaten 54.

The South African said it was nice to see the team getting off the blocks with a win. “It’s always nice to get off the tournament like this with a win. The game of cricket is all about confidence and momentum and we got that a little bit from this game. I thought we were a bit scratchy over there but it’s important to build the momentum through a win and it’s a good experience to pull it over the line,” he said.

De Villiers also expressed happiness over the way he kept wickets. “My keeping is coming along nicely. There have been a few injury worries but it’s good to have a guy like Ray Jennings around as  there’s no better man to consult about keeping. But I felt I did a good job and I can only get better from this point.”

The middle-order batsman also backed the RCB bowlers. “Our bowling is not a worry at all. One of the best bowlers in the world, Zaheer Khan, is leading our attack. His second spell at the death was unbelievable. I am not worried at all as we have got lot of variety and skill in our bowling.”