Bengaluru. As Royal Challengers Bangalore navigate a mixed campaign in the ongoing IPL season, captain Rajat Patidar opened up about the team’s inconsistent performances at home, the challenges posed by unpredictable pitches at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, and his evolving role as a leader.

Speaking to the media ahead of the team’s upcoming fixture, the skipper acknowledged that RCB haven’t been at their best in home conditions.

“We have not played good cricket in our home matches. The toss factor has been discussed often, but that’s not in my hands,” he said. “Yes, the wickets have been a bit tricky and unpredictable this season, but that’s no excuse. We’ll look to adapt to the conditions as quickly as possible.”

Focus Beyond the Toss

While the toss has often played a pivotal role in determining match outcomes at Chinnaswamy, the RCB leader stressed the importance of mindset and execution regardless of conditions.

“It’s not like losing the toss means half the battle is lost. It’s out of our control. What matters is how we perform when batting first or second,” he explained. “As players, we focus more on making the most of the situation we’re given, rather than dwelling on the toss.”

Putting Home Defeats Behind

Asked about the team’s ability to bounce back from home defeats during away games, especially in unfamiliar conditions, the captain emphasized a forward-looking approach.

“In a tournament like this, with back-to-back matches, it's important to stay in the present. We’ve learned from our mistakes, but we don’t dwell on past losses. Each game is a new opportunity, and we focus on delivering our best on the day.”

Strategic Use of Impact Player

Shedding light on the team’s tactical use of the Impact Player rule, he highlighted the decision to bring in Manoj Bhandage during a recent match against Punjab Kings.

“We had lost 3–4 early wickets, so we needed a batter in the middle. That’s why Manoj was brought in, and I believe it was the right decision. We needed a strong total to defend, and that change was aimed at strengthening our middle order.”

Tricky Surfaces and Shot Selection at Chinnaswamy

The skipper also addressed the challenges of batting on the current surfaces at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, which have reportedly behaved unpredictably this season.

“Shot selection becomes crucial here. The pitches are a bit two-paced and the bounce varies, which gives bowlers some assistance. As batters, we need to choose our shots wisely and adjust quickly to what's in front of us.”

On Pitch Preparation and Curator Collaboration

When asked about pitch conditions and whether the team has communicated with curators, he maintained a balanced view.

“The curators are doing their job and trying their best. As players, we must adapt to whatever pitch we get. There’s no room for excuses—we have to adjust and perform.”

Leading the Franchise: A Learning Curve

On a more personal note, the captain reflected on his experience leading RCB this season.

“I’m really enjoying the role. It’s a great learning process. We have a strong leadership group and experienced players who offer valuable inputs, and that has helped me grow as a leader.”

As the league enters a crucial phase, RCB will hope to find the right balance between adapting to conditions and executing their strategies effectively—both at home and on the road.

Ahead of their upcoming match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Punjab Kings Assistant Coach Brad Haddin addressed the media during a pre-match press conference. In his conversation, he emphasized the team’s focus on drawing motivation from recent victories, ensuring continuous improvement, and building momentum as the tournament intensifies.

Punjab Kings recently became the team to successfully defend the lowest total in the history of IPL, as they beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 16 runs in their last match.

Sharing how such thrilling encounters and victories help the team in gaining confidence, Haddin stated, “I think it reinsures everything that we’re doing; the playing group starts to trust. And wins like that, as you’ve seen the other night, the way we got ourselves back into the game was special. The players have started to believe that they can win from any situation.”

However, despite the fact that the team’s batting lineup could only put 111 runs on the board in the last game, the Assistant Coach spoke about the strengths of the unit and how they are prepared to avoid such circumstances in the future.

“The one thing we have is a really dynamic batting line-up, and we want our players to have clear minds. They all know their individual roles; they know if they get things right, they can take the game away from the opposition. So it’s really important from our point of view as coaches to allow them.”

“They train well, they do everything they need to do, they are prepared well. But when they go out there, it’s about clearing your head and executing. You have to be brave to go deep in this tournament, and that’s the mindset we want the players to have,” he added.

Given that the Kings’ next match is at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, Haddin also underscored the team’s strategy of adapting to different wicket conditions.

“The one thing you want to do when the conditions are different is trust your game, and everyone will have different ways to get through that. Some will take the game on, hit in the air, try to hit the ball off their length, others will run hard. And the one thing we’ve said to our players is we make sure that they understand what their role in their game is,” the former Aussie cricketer explained.

He further added, “We have a clear game plan in the way we want to play and the style that we want to play, but it’s important that the player knows in themselves what their strengths are, so they can take the game on.”

Punjab Kings will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on April 18 at 7:30 PM.

Chandigarh. The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), defending champions of the TATA IPL, suffered a narrow 16-run loss in a low-scoring thriller against Punjab Kings, here at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium on April 15. Harshit Rana’s three-fer, alongside braces from Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy went in vain as hosts defending the target in an engaging contest.

Reflecting on the match, KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane said, “The wicket was a good one, even though the ball was stopping a bit. Our bowlers bundled them out for 111 and did half the job. Chasing 112 on this wicket was comparatively easy, especially after the start we got. It wasn’t like Punjab Kings bowled exceptionally, we just didn’t bat as well.”

The captain also highlighted the learnings, from the game, backing his team to respond going into their next match. “We’re halfway through the tournament and there are seven matches to go in the league stage. It’s always about coming back with good intent, while still looking to learn and improve as a batter and take it on in the next game.”

Halfway through their league stage matches, Kolkata Knight Riders have bagged three wins in the tournament so far. However, Rahane insisted that the batting unit have to learn to grind out results in certain situations.

“It’s not about hitting sixes every time and getting that net run rate up. It wasn’t a belter or a flat wicket, there was something for the bowlers. So, we had to grind it out. Even though sometimes you have to play a maiden over in T20 cricket or play at a strike rate of 70-80, it’s okay. But you have to grind it out.”

“T20 cricket is not only about hitting sixes, even though we’re seeing most players trying to look for the big shots. It’s not about that, it’s about reading the situation and having the game awareness as a batter and then take the game forward. That’s what we lacked today”, he added.

With seven matches remaining in the league stage for KKR, the captain is confident that there is no room for complacency in this experienced setup. “All the players are confident and experienced enough to handle any situation. I wouldn’t say we were complacent or are taking things for granted. I don’t think we’re doing that. We didn’t bat well and didn’t have the awareness to play according to what the situation demanded, but we learn from it”, he concluded.