<p>When you want to win a tournament, you need to beat the best. We came very close to doing so on Tuesday. The ideal situation would have been to beat the Super Kings and walk into the final, but that was not to be.<br /><br />We were in control for 75 percent of the game, but what that match reiterated was that no Twenty20 game is won or lost until the very end. Overall, I was very happy with the way we played, and with the way we fought till the last ball.<br /><br />One must also give a lot of credit to Suresh Raina, and the way he pulled off the chase under great pressure. His stands with Badrinath and Dhoni were the key, decisive elements of the close game. <br /><br />Once again, Virat Kohli played exceptionally well. He started in customary fashion, working the gaps, but in the last 20 deliveries, he was positively destructive. This is not a new facet of Virat’s game. He has performed similarly, both for RCB and for India in the past, and has shown that he is someone who can be a part of this for a long, long time. I have no doubts that he has a very bright future ahead of him.<br /><br />Mature lad<br /><br />I was also impressed with the attitude and approach of Mayank Agarwal. He showed a lot of maturity and, going forward, I am excited at what he can do not just for RCB in time to come, but also for Karnataka.<br /><br />We are down to the last two games of IPL IV, and from now on, there will be no second chances. Our match against Mumbai Indians on Friday, in Qualifier 2, is a knockout game, effectively a second semifinal for us, but we must approach it like a normal game.<br /><br />Mumbai Indians have shown a distinct vulnerability more than once this season. Even on Wednesday, they stuttered under pressure whilst not chasing a very big total against Kolkata Knight Riders. We would like to exploit that propensity of theirs to crack under pressure.<br /><br />Mumbai’s performances revolve around the big man, and it will therefore be important to get Sachin early. Such is the format of the IPL this year that we have played Mumbai just once before. That was long back, at the start of the season, and I wouldn’t read too much into what happened in that game. Instead, we would like to look at how we played against Chennai the other day, and build on it.<br /><br />Last year too, we played Mumbai in the semifinals. We were on the wrong side of the result then, but the way Mumbai have batted this season compared to last season is completely different, and I feel we have a very, very good chance to go through to the final and have one more crack at Chennai, in their own backyard where they have been unbeaten this season.<br />The Chennai heat has been conspicuous by its absence and there is a forecast for thundershowers on Friday. I just hope the weather clears up, and there is a rain of fours and sixes, hopefully from the RCB bats!<br /><br /><em>HAWKEYE COMMUNICATIONS</em></p>
<p>When you want to win a tournament, you need to beat the best. We came very close to doing so on Tuesday. The ideal situation would have been to beat the Super Kings and walk into the final, but that was not to be.<br /><br />We were in control for 75 percent of the game, but what that match reiterated was that no Twenty20 game is won or lost until the very end. Overall, I was very happy with the way we played, and with the way we fought till the last ball.<br /><br />One must also give a lot of credit to Suresh Raina, and the way he pulled off the chase under great pressure. His stands with Badrinath and Dhoni were the key, decisive elements of the close game. <br /><br />Once again, Virat Kohli played exceptionally well. He started in customary fashion, working the gaps, but in the last 20 deliveries, he was positively destructive. This is not a new facet of Virat’s game. He has performed similarly, both for RCB and for India in the past, and has shown that he is someone who can be a part of this for a long, long time. I have no doubts that he has a very bright future ahead of him.<br /><br />Mature lad<br /><br />I was also impressed with the attitude and approach of Mayank Agarwal. He showed a lot of maturity and, going forward, I am excited at what he can do not just for RCB in time to come, but also for Karnataka.<br /><br />We are down to the last two games of IPL IV, and from now on, there will be no second chances. Our match against Mumbai Indians on Friday, in Qualifier 2, is a knockout game, effectively a second semifinal for us, but we must approach it like a normal game.<br /><br />Mumbai Indians have shown a distinct vulnerability more than once this season. Even on Wednesday, they stuttered under pressure whilst not chasing a very big total against Kolkata Knight Riders. We would like to exploit that propensity of theirs to crack under pressure.<br /><br />Mumbai’s performances revolve around the big man, and it will therefore be important to get Sachin early. Such is the format of the IPL this year that we have played Mumbai just once before. That was long back, at the start of the season, and I wouldn’t read too much into what happened in that game. Instead, we would like to look at how we played against Chennai the other day, and build on it.<br /><br />Last year too, we played Mumbai in the semifinals. We were on the wrong side of the result then, but the way Mumbai have batted this season compared to last season is completely different, and I feel we have a very, very good chance to go through to the final and have one more crack at Chennai, in their own backyard where they have been unbeaten this season.<br />The Chennai heat has been conspicuous by its absence and there is a forecast for thundershowers on Friday. I just hope the weather clears up, and there is a rain of fours and sixes, hopefully from the RCB bats!<br /><br /><em>HAWKEYE COMMUNICATIONS</em></p>