<p>From the point of view of all those who played in the World Cup, the break has come at the right time. Some guys needed this time off to recharge batteries and get fresh again mentally. With Chris Gayle coming into the set-up, it has changed the entire complexion of the team. His explosiveness makes such a huge difference, as was obvious in our last match against the Pune Warriors.<br /><br />It wasn’t the easiest track to bat on first up, with the ball seaming around and the Warriors possessing an excellent new-ball attack in Jerome Taylor and Alfonso Thomas, one of the most experienced T20 bowlers in the world. The manner in which Chris went out and took them on was brilliant, and we thoroughly enjoyed it from the dug-out!<br />What was most pleasing about Friday’s victory that everyone fielded well, and we bowled really well too. It was heartening to see Mithun run in hard and bowl quick, and Arvind has continued to improve with every game. That’s a very good sign for us; when the youngsters within the set-up start performing, it augurs well not just for this campaign, but for the future of RCB as well.<br /><br />Once again, Virat was extremely impressive. He has shown tremendous maturity, and the way he changes gears helps the team immensely. Also, towards the end of the match, it was noticeable that all the senior guys were getting involved, discussing strategies and bowling options. Particularly in a Twenty20 game, communication is so important because everything happens so quickly. The moment you stop communicating with the key men involved in the action, things can go really awry.<br /><br />Dan Vettori, of course, brings that calmness and stability which comes with experience and stature. His bowling has been really effective, and he has been the most economical bowler for RCB. Overall, we at RCB have been very happy with the way the first phase of our campaign has gone. We have a couple of practice games lined up in the next few days before our next match on Friday. That will help us identify back-up options at our disposal. Dilshan will probably be leaving us in a fortnight’s time, and I am sure he would like to fire and make an impact before he goes, but it’s very important to have contingency plans in place and that’s what the practice games within the side will facilitate.<br /><br />I have also been impressed with the attitude of the guys that haven’t been a part of the playing eleven. It’s never easy for the six other internationals and the Indian boys who are a part of the squad to sit outside and not be a part of the action, but whenever we have come back to Bangalore from away games, I have been delighted to see a happy bunch, which is very encouraging because we know that as a team, we are in a good space. The business end of the IPL is coming up, and the next three games will be very critical. Two of them are at home and the other is in Jaipur, where we are one of the few teams who have beaten the Rajasthan Royals. If we can win these three games, we should more or less make it through to the semifinals, which is the first aim of every team.<br /><br />It was quite an experience to be at the Chinnaswamy stadium on Friday night. The home support for the Challengers has always been outstanding, and to have a near capacity crowd so soon after the World Cup matches in Bangalore once again reiterated the love of the Bangaloreans for cricket. <br /><br />We owed them a home win, and now that we have four more home games coming up, there’s plenty to look forward to, not just for the players but also for all the fans of the Royal Challengers. They are like a 12th, vital member of the team, and I firmly believe that whichever team wins its home games has a better chance of qualifying, so we are grateful for this massive support at home!<br /><em><br />Hawkeye Communications</em></p>
<p>From the point of view of all those who played in the World Cup, the break has come at the right time. Some guys needed this time off to recharge batteries and get fresh again mentally. With Chris Gayle coming into the set-up, it has changed the entire complexion of the team. His explosiveness makes such a huge difference, as was obvious in our last match against the Pune Warriors.<br /><br />It wasn’t the easiest track to bat on first up, with the ball seaming around and the Warriors possessing an excellent new-ball attack in Jerome Taylor and Alfonso Thomas, one of the most experienced T20 bowlers in the world. The manner in which Chris went out and took them on was brilliant, and we thoroughly enjoyed it from the dug-out!<br />What was most pleasing about Friday’s victory that everyone fielded well, and we bowled really well too. It was heartening to see Mithun run in hard and bowl quick, and Arvind has continued to improve with every game. That’s a very good sign for us; when the youngsters within the set-up start performing, it augurs well not just for this campaign, but for the future of RCB as well.<br /><br />Once again, Virat was extremely impressive. He has shown tremendous maturity, and the way he changes gears helps the team immensely. Also, towards the end of the match, it was noticeable that all the senior guys were getting involved, discussing strategies and bowling options. Particularly in a Twenty20 game, communication is so important because everything happens so quickly. The moment you stop communicating with the key men involved in the action, things can go really awry.<br /><br />Dan Vettori, of course, brings that calmness and stability which comes with experience and stature. His bowling has been really effective, and he has been the most economical bowler for RCB. Overall, we at RCB have been very happy with the way the first phase of our campaign has gone. We have a couple of practice games lined up in the next few days before our next match on Friday. That will help us identify back-up options at our disposal. Dilshan will probably be leaving us in a fortnight’s time, and I am sure he would like to fire and make an impact before he goes, but it’s very important to have contingency plans in place and that’s what the practice games within the side will facilitate.<br /><br />I have also been impressed with the attitude of the guys that haven’t been a part of the playing eleven. It’s never easy for the six other internationals and the Indian boys who are a part of the squad to sit outside and not be a part of the action, but whenever we have come back to Bangalore from away games, I have been delighted to see a happy bunch, which is very encouraging because we know that as a team, we are in a good space. The business end of the IPL is coming up, and the next three games will be very critical. Two of them are at home and the other is in Jaipur, where we are one of the few teams who have beaten the Rajasthan Royals. If we can win these three games, we should more or less make it through to the semifinals, which is the first aim of every team.<br /><br />It was quite an experience to be at the Chinnaswamy stadium on Friday night. The home support for the Challengers has always been outstanding, and to have a near capacity crowd so soon after the World Cup matches in Bangalore once again reiterated the love of the Bangaloreans for cricket. <br /><br />We owed them a home win, and now that we have four more home games coming up, there’s plenty to look forward to, not just for the players but also for all the fans of the Royal Challengers. They are like a 12th, vital member of the team, and I firmly believe that whichever team wins its home games has a better chance of qualifying, so we are grateful for this massive support at home!<br /><em><br />Hawkeye Communications</em></p>