Bengaluru: While the IPL will be resumed in the middle of the season after an unexpected break, Royal Challengers’ cricket director offers Bengaluru, Mo Bobat, insight into the team’s way of thinking, the player’s updates and the challenges and opportunities that are ahead of us.
Bobat thought about the break and recognized the unusual nature of the last few days-a mix of logistical work and urgently needed calm. “It was a well -deserved break for many of our boys,” he said, adding that the players returned to training with energy and focus, which indicates that the group is in a good spiritual and physical space on the last route. Excerpts from the interview:
On the approach for the last games, while IPL appears again
It was unusual days for everyone. For me personally there was a lot to be clarified and there were a few busy days. For many of our boys it was actually a well -deserved break. Some of them liked to go home, saw themselves a family, even if it only takes a few days and then came back. In fact, we also said yesterday that the boys came in with a lot of energy for their practice. As for the group, they seem to be in a really good place. We are very happy about it.
Updates to Rajat Patidar and Josh Hazlewood
Rajat is fine. He had a hand injury, but he slowly built up. For him personally, the disorder probably gave him a few more days, just to get through some of this early healing and to go down and get used to taking up a bat. He has practiced in the past few days and is doing well.
With Josh he is currently our only player who is not here. He recovered from his shoulder he had. He does that with Cricket Australia. Our medical team and their medical teams have settled in what this detail looks like, and that day he only takes on this day and he tries to improve his shot.
On the challenges presented due to the unforeseen expansion of the IPL season
I am sure that all teams have experienced the same thing. As soon as your players have gone home and the data has been extended, this creates a little uncertainty. We spoke quite a lot to our overseas boys before they went. Most of them were quite relentless that they were interested in coming back and ending the job.
So far we have had a good season. You want to come back and do that. The extension of the season was some challenges. I had to have a few conversations with some of the national teams who were led. Obviously we lose Jacob Bethel after a few games and we will lose Lungi Ngidi after a few games. There is an obvious influence there.
Over time, we will think about it a little about it and try to see who can possibly come in to support these positions. Apart from these few people, nothing else was disturbed too much.
When I don’t have a left -hander at the top of the order
My personal philosophy is that I don’t worry about the right and left combinations.
I know that different teams look at it differently. I think since we had the impact player rule and each team has six or seven bowls, it almost doesn’t matter whether they are right and left-handed. It only changes the bowling combination.
I think in a line -up of 11 compared to 11, it can mean that you can put one of your bowlers under pressure. I see it less than one thing now. We saw so often during this competition that a certain bowler type did not whip your overs because there was a left-hander in the fold and they just get through well.
I don’t concentrate too much on it. We are clearly about our game pattern and the things we want to concentrate on. It is obviously advantageous to have a few left -handed people if you have a short border on one side or something, but it’s not a big concern for me.
About Virat’s test retirement and any effects or conversations in the team?
The first thing to say is that Virat Kohli’s business is currently as usual. There is enough attention from the public and the nation to him, he no longer wants to. He only wants to continue with shops, he is usually ambitious about what we can achieve with RCB. This is his focus.
However, I would like to say that he should be incredibly proud of what he did as a test player for India. RCB as a franchise, we are all incredibly proud of what each of our players does in an India shirt, especially him. Playing 120 Plus test games and achieving almost 10,000 runs is not an easy task.
Even as a captain, his record, 60% win percentage or something like captain, no common performance. I can also speak of my previous role as an Englishman who works in the English system. He was someone you never wanted to play against.
He was always the dough they wanted to get out. They knew that they were in trouble when he was either in the pavilion or in the fold. Some of my most beautiful memories of watching test cricket affect him.
I will never forget the 2018 India series in England. The test in Edgbaston and watched how James Anderson and he fight like two gladiators. I think James Anderson must have bent nine over on the trot. There were two of the best players in the world who did their thing. That’s what he is about. He is about these special moments, these inspiring moments.
He did as a captain, as a player. We are all very proud of him. I am sure that the fans will show him a lot of love this week when they see him again. But just to return to where I started, he is a business as always. We are all. He has talked to some of us in the past few weeks, but they know how he is. He is pretty clear, so he is clear what he wants to do.
On the White Jersey Garnacle of the fans
It is not something that we thought too much about or that we talked about. In any case, I noticed that the fans talked about it a bit, but I don’t think it will have a big impact on our game.
About the weather factor and if it affects the preparations?
It certainly affects our preparation. We intentionally practiced in the afternoon because we were concerned about rain tonight. You can control these things. If you come to the match day, you cannot control it.
You want your players to feel as clear and relaxed as possible. You trust that you are currently making decisions, regardless of what happens. We do not rethink any of these things.
If the game rain is affected, it is rain -related. It is not something that one of us controls, so we don’t really think about it too much, but it could affect our preparation. Hopefully we can play our game for the fans and for everyone because we only want to play well and want to make a bit of a show.
