‘Momentum’ is the name of the game, and you frequently see franchises winning three in succession, then losing three in succession. Everything seems to happen at such a frenetic pace in the IPL that any team’s outlook can change in a few days.

It doesn’t seem any time since Royal Challengers Bangalore were apparently in crisis, lying one place above the wrong end of the points table. We had lost three games in a row and had another match washed out; we seemed in trouble.

Since then, we have won three matches in a row and now we lie second.
Our magnificent supporters at the Chinnasamy stadium are much happier, which is no more than they deserve. I have been fortunate to have played in most of the renowned cricket grounds around the world, but there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the stadium with the most noise and the best atmosphere is right here in Bangalore.

It is deafening. It is hectic. It is amazing, and I reckon the impact is significantly reduced on television. You really have to see and hear it to believe it!

When you play all your home matches amid this kind of bedlam, you need a calm captain who can be relied upon to make the right decisions when the chips come thudding down, and at RCB, we are extremely fortunate to have Daniel Vettori.

Under his outstanding leadership, we have managed to improve our performance over the past ten days or so, and regain that precious winning momentum.

Our fielding in the home win against Pune Warriors on Friday was sharper and tighter than at any stage of the tournament, and our bowlers are finding their range. Zaheer Khan and Daniel are class acts, and it is encouraging to see the progress being made by our young seamers.

Hawkeye Communications