Royal Challengers Bangalore finished third on the points table with 9 wins in 14 matches.
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) qualified for the IPL 2021 playoffs for the second consecutive time after finishing at number 3 on the points table. They will take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Eliminator and the winner will play Qualifier 2 against Delhi Capitals (DC).
RCB captain Virat Kohli knows they have lost the advantage by not finishing in the top two. But he has confidence in his side and they are prepared to win two more matches to qualify for the final.
“We have a lot of confidence on our team, if not the top two spot (on the points table), then we will have to win two more matches to reach the Final, and we are fully prepared for that," Kohli said on Star Sports.
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Kohli understands that the term 'Qualifiers' and 'Eliminator' are there to play with the mind which creates added pressure. He said thinking about both the outcomes of a match, instead of only winning, negatively affects mindset.
"You prepare for all kinds of possibilities, and the way I see it, Qualifiers and Eliminators are just terms that exist to create more pressure for these matches.
“When you play cricket, you either win or lose, so when you think you have two options (winning or losing), then that mindset can possibly turn into a negative one,” he said.
“Our focus is to go out, execute our plans, and win games. When your only option is winning and losing is not an option, then your performance reaches another level and I feel our team is in the right space to execute our plans,” Kohli concluded.
Bangalore have never won an IPL tournament and they have been runners-up three times; in 2009, 2011, and 2016. This is Kohli's last season as RCB captain and he would be looking to end his captaincy stint with a trophy.