A crestfallen Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Faf du Plessis conceded that a string of defeats had taken a toll on the team and the confidence had hit an all-time low after losing by 25 runs to Sunrisers Hyderabad in a match where a plethora of batting records were eclipsed. (As It Happened | Scorecard)
SRH posted an all-time IPL record total of 287 for 3 and then restricted RCB to 262 for 7 as 38 maximums were hit across two innings. The match also entered the record books for the highest🅰 cumulative ma🐬tch total of 549 scored by both teams.
"It's crazy the amount of runs scored today, a world record. I wouldn't say 270 is par, Danny. It's tough (to bowl on a day lꦛike𝕴 this), we tried a few things and they weren't quite working," Du Plessis said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
Just like winning provides🧔 a lot of confidence, back-to-back defe♐at can also rob teams of it, feels the former Proteas skipper.
"There's no w﷽ay to hide when your confidence is low. The fast bowlers found it quite difficult out there. Similar to the batting perspective, we need to work on a few areas. Need to make﷽ sure the run rate doesn't go down after the powerplay. The guys put up their hands and never gave up (in the run chase)."
"It was 𝔍go♔od to see the fight, 30-40 runs from the bowling perspective was a bit too much."
Du Pl🐟essis admitted that the pressure is way too much and mind could explode at any time.
"It's important to go away and fres🦋hen your mind, it's such a mental game. Someti༒mes you feel your mind is going to explode. When you get back to the contest you have to give full commitment," the RCB skipper said.
Winning skipper Cummins, who was the best bowler on view among the two teams, also saiꦕd in jest how h🔯e wished that he was a batter on days like these.
"Wish I was a batter," Cummins could𝄹 afford to smile after his team emerged victorious. The SRH skipper said that when his team scored 277 a few week💛s back, he never thought that total could be surpassed.
"Against Mumbai a few weeks ago, I thought it wouldn't happen again, but it has happened again. Give me a few more years please (on whether bowlers will go extin💛ct)! It feels like you bowl an over for seven or eight feels great."
The Chinnaswamy trac🔴k seemed a ꧂bit slower in earlier games but things have indeed changed.
"ꦍI've given up trying to read the 🐭pitches," Cummins said.
