Vettori wants RCB to be desperate

With the results fortunately going their way so far, Royal Challengers Bangalore are still hanging on to thin hopes of making the play-offs despite no chance of accumulating more than 14 points. They need to win their last two matches, including the one against Sunrisers Hyderabad here on Thursday, and hope other remaining matches go their way. Coach Daniel Vettori demanded desperation from his wards in the next two matches.

“I suppose we approach it like the last three games,” said Vettori when asked about his team’s mindset in the next two matches. “We know the scenario and the only way we can give ourselves that opportunity is having the desperation. This game and the next game, we know they are two pretty tough games. Two good sides but that’s been the conversation. Virat (Kohli) has spoken to the team about being desperate. That’s the analogy we are trying to use going into the next game,” he explained.

The former New Zealand skipper admitted that their present situation allows them to play with carefree approach. “I think the way that it appears to me visually is the way Virat bats,” he stressed. “He plays unencumbered and he plays aggressively, particularly in that Power Play. We have seen in the last two games versus Delhi and obviously in the last one versus Kings XI that he is prepared to take bowlers on and take a lot of risks. When he does that, that has a way of flowing through the rest of the team and particularly with our batting. When we are almost carefree, that’s when we are at our best. That’s what we need to be in the next two games.”

Vettori was also mighty impressed with Umesh Yadav who has been among the top wicket-takers in the league with 17 scalps. He has consistently given breakthroughs and has managed to keep the batsmen quiet in the Power Play.

“I think he has been exceptional from day one in that Power Play,” Vettori said. “We sort of changed his role a little bit to utilise how skillful he is. The ability to swing the ball. He has been such a wicket-taker in the Power Play. He has been exceptionally consistent in that Power Play set, so look at our numbers and he is the best bowler in that time-frame and that’s why we have done well.”