IPL 2019

We don't deserve to have lost four games in a row - Parthiv

by Cricbuzz Staff • Published on

Parthiv has been in good touch with the bat so far. © AFP

Royal Challengers Bangalore are yet to register a win this season in the Indian Premier League. While the hosts are under the pump, Kolkata Knight Riders are wary of a potential backlash from a "hurting" RCB. Having had set the bar extremely high over the years, that Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers haven't quite hit their straps so far this year and that has set RCB back with them being so over-reliant on the pair. The consistency though, has come from opener Parthiv Patel, who has braved the storm despite being made to open with three different personnel in four matches.

"Obviously, we can't shy away from saying that we are under the pump," said Parthiv on Thursday (April 4). "That's definitely the case, there is no doubt about it. We can't sit here and say we are 0-4 and we are happy about it! But the only thing, to be honest, we are quite positive about the team we have. We have always spoken in our dressing room about the kind of team we have, we don't deserve to have lost four games in a row.

"I am quite happy the way I have played, but individual performances don't matter as much. Whoever plays in the XI tries to do well and that's exactly what I have been trying to do. Every time I get a chance to play, I try to perform to the best of my ability and I am glad the performances have come so far.."

Parthiv probably is the best equipped to handle the uncertainty at the top, given how many different IPL teams he has been a part of. Since the inception of the tournament in 2008, he has played in as many as six different IPL teams.

"Personally, I have played for so many teams and played with so many openers, it doesn't matter that much to me," he said with a chuckle. "I have played a lot with Virat and with Moeen together. I know what my role is and it doesn't worry me too much. Everyone knows their role. Before the game starts, everyone knows their role. It's not like suddenly we decide that someone is opening," he added.

That RCB stick to their plans made before a game starts, and not have the fluidity to alter them given the game situation, may be up for debate. There were several questionable decisions made by the management that have drawn scrutiny. For example, why Kohli didn't opt to open against the Sunrisers Hyderabad when RCB were chasing a target of over 200. The end result of that was RCB succumbing to a 118-run loss, which highlighted Kohli's pre-tournament statement about RCB's faring in the IPL being attributed to bad decision-making.

Kohli came in at 3 and was dismissed for 3, while AB de Villiers at 4, got just a 1. "The reason everyone is taking about Virat and AB is because of the performance they have given for RCB, and with Virat for India and AB for South Africa. I think more than anything, they will try and score big. AB had a good game against Mumbai here and Virat got a 40 as well in the same game. I am sure as everyone else, they will be as hungry as possible. From a team's point of view and from the captain's point of view, it is about winning games right now. I don't think milestones matter to anyone in this team."

© Cricbuzz

TAGS

RELATED STORIES