Virat Kohli, one of the Royal Challengers Bangalore's batting mainstays, stressed that the team need not tinker with its batting line-up for the IPL battles ahead.
“In earlier games we did try pinch-hitters (Asad Pathan and Zaheer Khan) up the order and I told the coach (Ray Jennings) that there was no need for that. I maintain that there is no need to change the batting order.
“Instead of thinking what the opposition thinks, it is better we stick to our plans and the batsmen should be good enough to handle what the opposition does at this level,” Kohli said here on Thursday.
With Chris Gayle, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kohli and A.B. de Villiers in its ranks, RCB has a top-heavy structure but the Delhi lad believed that it's good for the team. “There is bound to be dependence on us and if two of us can stay there and score, it will help the team.
“When a new batsman steps in then the ratio of dot balls increases and so it is very important for a batsman like me to stay on and play right through, otherwise it becomes difficult for numbers five and six when they step in,” Kohli said.
Back home and nursing the feel-good factor of two victories in its last two games, Kohli said that it is imperative for RCB to continue the good work. “We will stay serious and try and build on that momentum and use the home advantage over the next three games out here.
“In Twenty20 things change quickly so it is important to get our victories. In terms of net run-rate, we could have won the match in Delhi at least three overs earlier but then de Villiers and I got out and that made it difficult for us,” Kohli said and added that he was looking forward to his tussle with friend and mentor Yuvraj Singh besides hoping to prevent local lads — Robin Uthappa and Manish Pandey — from scoring heavily for Pune Warriors.
The delirium of the World Cup victory on April 2 did affect the players, admitted Virat Kohli. “A high-intensity tournament like the World Cup does take a toll. The physical stress is something that I can handle because I have age on my side but for a lot of senior players, playing the high intensity Twenty20 games after the World Cup does affect the body and you need time to recover.
“But even I did not get used to the IPL atmosphere for the first week and then as the points table got interesting I got into the mindset,” Kohli said.
