Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper Faf du Plessis has refused to reveal the team composition for the crucial game against Rajasthan Royals at the MCA Stadium here on Tuesday night, preferring to say that “everyone’s really, really hungry to perform”. But the team management might be forced to make some big changes — including replacing out-of-form Virat Kohli and Anuj Rawat — following the massive nine-wicket thrashing at the hands of Sunrisers Hyderabad in just eight overs.
Both Kohli, the former RCB skipper, and Rawat were out for a duck against SRH, prompting critics to say that the two needed a break.
However, du Plessis preferred to gloss over the key question in RCB Bold Diaries, speaking only about the mood in the camp following the morale-shattering loss.
“Everyone’s really, really hungry to perform. That’s the one thing that I genuinely do feel within us as a group — every single player is desperate to put his best out there, and at the end of the day, that’s all you can ask for as a captain. Effort and attitude is one of the things we can control, and if we do that, hopefully, the result will be on our side,” said the South African.
On how his team hopes to bounce back after such a demoralizing defeat, du Plessis said, “For me, it’s almost like a blip in the radar if you can explain it like that. I think you have to look at it in context; in a season you’re playing a lot of games. So, for me, whether you lose by one run or by 500 runs, you still try and reach the level of wins that you need to reach to make the knockout stages.
“And obviously, we are very disappointed about that game, but you have to move on really quickly because if you carry the baggage of a game like that, then it drags on into one or two or five or six matches. So, what’s really important for me is cutting that game off, putting it behind us, and focusing and moving forward.”
He said the key to recovering from the debacle was to look ahead.
“The important thing for me is that you look ahead. I have been fortunate enough with a lot of guys in our dressing room that understand the ups and downs of sport. Even just last year, I remember going through the same experience playing for a different team; but, I think we were bowled out for 60 or 70 or so and ended up winning the competition. A game like that is a bad day at the office. You literally have to make sure you put it behind you; not worry about what people are saying, what they are thinking, you just put that focus back into your group,” said du Plessis.
