Kholi says no one believed arun will hit six
Bengaluru, Oct 5: Virat Kohli, RCB's star of the evening, scored a match-winning 70 off 36 balls to take his team close to victory. He hit four fours and six sixers in his innings as he and Tillakaratne Dilshan never let the required run rate go out of hand. An excited Kohli returned to address the post-match press conference. Excerpts:On whether they thought they would be able to chase 214
We knew that the wicket was good but you needed some partnerships to get there. In T20 cricket it's all about smashing the ball from ball one. We thought that if Chris [Gayle] and Tillakaratne Dilshan bat for 5-6 overs and get us off to a strong start, which they did, it would be easier for us to go at about 10 an over till the 13th over. That was our plan and we executed the plan properly. Getting that 100-run partnership with Dilly was crucial. We have never chased 200-plus score in T20... very excited right now.
On the team's assessment of Bengaluru conditions
We honestly wanted to bowl first because we knew with the dew coming in and Chris, Dilshan, [Saurabh] Tiwary and me in the middle order, we can really go after any sort of total they put up. We always knew it was going to be difficult gripping the ball in the second half. It was already difficult while we were bowling.
On the team being over-dependant on Gayle
He is an impact batsman for us. I have always believed, in the IPL as well, that if he doesn't end up getting big runs then probably Dilshan or I have to step up. All of us have all the shots and it's just about being confident and not putting too much pressure on Gayle. Him playing the way he is is a blessing, but we have been picked for a reason too.
On what was the team thinking during the break
I stopped thinking after the 17th over. The ball was difficult to grip and there was no point in getting frustrated at what was going on. It is all about giving your 100 per cent. It's not easy when you have to smash every ball and achieve a rate of 13-14 an over.
On the impact of Kohli's wicket
Dilly and I got out at the wrong time. I was dropped before that and I got out in that same over. But at no point did I think we were going to lose. I asked Dilly to keep going as it would have been heartbreaking to lose it after coming so close. The two sixes that Saruabh Tiwary and Mayank Agarwal hit were really important shots at that point in time. We were pretty confident of winning except in the last three balls.
On how many RCB players backed Arun Karthik to get six off the last ball
I didn't honestly. I was sitting next to the coach and we needed seven off two. I told him if we get four off this ball and two off the next then we would make it. But when we got just a single, I closed my eyes and said, 'Whatever happens, happens.' In the end he hit a six. No one believed what had happened. We will have to watch this game all over again to believe what Karthik did.
On the influence of people like Anil Kumble and Venkatesh Prasad
It's priceless. They have so much experience that they can keep talking to the bowlers and tell them where to ball. They can talk to the batsmen and tell them how to go about their Game
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