By Admin 
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Rajat Patidar on Monday admitted that it is becoming very difficult for bowlers to remain effective in the era of continuously scoring more than 200 runs in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Along with this, he refrained from commenting directly on the controversy of shifting the IPL final from Bengaluru to Ahmedabad.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday on the eve of the first qualifier match against Gujarat Titans, Patidar said that now even a score of 220 to 250 runs cannot be considered safe and this situation has become a matter of concern especially for the fast bowlers. He said, “I think the challenge for the bowlers is continuously increasing. The wickets are batting friendly, the boundaries of the grounds are small and dew also plays a big role. Especially for the fast bowlers, even a small mistake turns into six runs.”
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He said, “However, we try to give our best in whatever pitch and conditions we get. It is not in my hands to decide how the wickets should be.” Patidar gave a balanced answer to the question of shifting the IPL final from Bengaluru to Ahmedabad. He said, “It is not in my control. It is a historical venue, so wherever the final is, it will be played there. Right now our entire focus is on reaching the final.”
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to hold the title match in Ahmedabad considering operational reasons, local political conditions, high demand for tickets and crowd management concerns. Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Titans, who have scored the same number of points in the league stage, will now compete for direct entry into the finals. Patidar called it a contest between two balanced teams. He said, “Both the teams have performed brilliantly throughout the season. On the match day, the team which implements its plans better and maintains patience and concentration under pressure will win.”
Patidar made it clear that despite continuously scoring big scores in the tournament, RCB will not change its aggressive strategy. He said, “Our biggest strength is our bowling. The way we bowl in the powerplay will be very important. Every player of the team knows that we have come here with the mentality of attacking and not just defending.”
The right-handed batsman said, “We will try to take early wickets and this has been the key to our success so far. Consistently following the same thinking and strategy will make the difference.”
He also praised the fast bowling trio of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood and Rasik Salam. Patidar did not give a clear answer to the question asked on the availability of opening batsman Phil Salt, who returned after undergoing finger treatment in England. He said, “He is fit and is also practicing, but we have not decided the final eleven yet.”
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