Kohli: Extra bowling options, execution under pressure helping RCB

SRH vs RCB, IPL 2021: Virat Kohli lauded his bowlers' execution under pressure after Royal Challengers Bangalore edged out Sunrisers Hyderabad by six runs on Wednesday.

Virat Kohli praised his bowlers for their performance in crunch moments as Royal Challengers Bangalore completed a miraculous turnaround to beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by six runs in Chennai on Wednesday.

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper Virat Kohli praised his bowlers for their performance in crunch moments as his side completed a miraculous turnaround to beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by six runs at the M.A. Chidambaram stadium in Chennai on Wednesday.

"It was a top game for us, the wicket was going to get challenging, we saw that yesterday (Mumbai-Kolkata match). You are never really out of the game in these conditions," said Kohli after the win.

Batting first under difficult conditions, Bangalore set up 149/8 on the board with Glenn Maxwell's 59 off 41 balls - his IPL fifty in five years - leading a slight recovery. Kohli (33) who supported Maxwell after RCB lost opener Devdutt Padikkal and Shahbaz Ahmed cheaply, said: "I tried to build the momentum with few boundaries in the powerplay but, I think Maxi's innings was the difference for us."

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The Sunrisers' 150-run chase got off to a fine start despite opener Wriddhiman Saha falling for 1. Skipper David Warner led the charge with a 37-ball 54 before SRH lost wickets in a heap soon after his dismissal.

Kohli's ploy to bring in Shahbaz Ahmed in the 17th over, jolted the SRH lineup as the left-arm spinner snapped three crucial wickets. Mohammed Siraj and Harshal Patel made further inroads as the Sunrisers middle-order crumbled to hand Bangalore its second successive win. 

Kohli lauded the execution of his bowlers under pressure and said: "We have more bowling options and those options made those impact performances in the middle overs. When you chase under pressure and lose wickets, the game can swing anywhere. The wicket was never a belter and our execution under pressure was spot on."

The RCB skipper also praised pacer Harshal Patel who defended 16 runs in the final over. "We traded Harshal from Delhi, gave him a specific role and he's doing an outstanding job for us. We are taking it one game at a time and are enjoying playing with each other," Kohli added.

RCB who is currently at the top of the table with four points, face Kolkata Knight Riders in match 10 on Sunday while SRH faces defending champion Mumbai Indians on Saturday.