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Neil Flack will lead Scotland at the Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh, and the squad will prepare for the tournament with a training camp in Sri Lanka on January 12 before arriving in Bangladesh on January 20

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Dec-2015Neil Flack will lead Scotland at the Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh. The squad will prepare for the tournament with a training camp in Sri Lanka on 12 January before arriving in Bangladesh on January 20.Scotland, who booked their place in the tournament after winning the only available European slot during the Under-19 qualifiers in Jersey, will play two warm-up games against West Indies and Fiji in Dhaka before they arrive in Cox’s Bazar for their group fixtures.There are places for Haris Aslam, the legspinner, and Scott Cameron, the seamer, after both earned representative honours with Scotland A during the 2015 season. Gordon Drummond, the former captain, will share the head coach duties with Cedric English.”It has been tough challenge to get here but we feel we have selected a strong squad for what will be Scotland’s third consecutive appearance at this age-group event,” Drummond said. “The guys showed good resilience this summer to qualify for the World Cup, and we have been working to add to this through various supportive training opportunities this winter.”The players are aware the challenge now is to convert all the good work they have done in the last few months into the competitive environment and are determined to put on a good show for Scotland. The excitement is starting to grow in the group the closer the tournament gets with everyone fully aware of what a fantastic opportunity this is.”Scotland face a stern test in Group A against current Under-19 Champions, South Africa on January 29, before taking on Bangladesh ( January 30) and Namibia (February 2).Squad: Neil Flack (capt), Haris Aslam, Ryan Brown, Scott Cameron, Harris Carnegie, Mohammad Azeem Dar, Mohammad Ghaffar, Rory Johnston, Ihtisham Malik, Finlay McCreath, Mitchell Rao, Owais Shah, Simon Whait, Jack Waller, Ben Wilkinson.

David Willey took his Championship wicket-tally to 15 in five innings by taking 4 for 71 on the opening day against Gloucestershire

24-Apr-2013
ScorecardDavid Willey continued his impressive start to the season with the ball•PA Photos

David Willey took his Championship wicket-tally to 15 in five innings by taking 4 for 71 on the opening day against Gloucestershire at Bristol. Thanks largely to the left-arm seamer, the home side were able to post only 192 all out after winning the toss, 18-year-old wicketkeeper Cameron Herring top-scoring with 43 in his first Championship innings.Steven Crook, James Middlebrook and Trent Copeland, who conceded only 26 runs from 18 overs, provided able support for Willey. By the close the visitors had replied with 107 for 3.Gloucestershire’s County Ground is a building site at the moment with ground development work continuing behind the bowler’s arm at both ends. Perhaps that contributed to a tentative batting display by the hosts, who were 9 for 2 in the seventh over, with Willey having Chris Dent taken in the slips and bowling Dan Housego pushing forward.Michael Klinger was caught behind playing forward to Crook for 23 and, with the ball moving in the air and off the seam, may have regretted his decision to bat. Crook accounted for Alex Gidman, as he was caught at first slip by Andrew Hall and it was 70 for 5 when Hamish Marshall was caught behind off Willey for 8 in the final over before lunch.Will Gidman offered a second catch to Sales to give Willey his fourth wicket and although Benny Howell (31) looked in better form than most, he had his stumps rearranged by Crook pushing forward to make it 111 for 7.Herring and Jack Taylor then put together an attractive stand of 48, which ended when offspinner Middlebrook was introduced into the Northants attack. He accounted for Taylor with the score on 159 as the batsman skied to mid-off. David Payne was then stumped by David Murphy off the medium pace of Hall for a duck.Herring was last man out, stumped advancing down the track to Middlebrook, having hit eight fours in an 81-ball innings of immense promise.The teenager’s good day continued when he dived to catch Kyle Coetzer for 24 off Will Gidman to break a Northants opening stand of 41. Sales pulled a simple catch to mid-wicket off Liam Norwell and departed kicking himself for 5. Then Stephen Peters, on 34, repeated the shot against the same bowler and was brilliantly caught by Will Gidman at mid-on.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) is considering a request from the Bangladesh board president Mustafa Kamal for South Africa to play Bangladesh in May

Firdose Moonda22-Apr-2012Cricket South Africa (CSA) is considering a request from the Bangladesh board president Mustafa Kamal for South Africa to play Bangladesh in May, CSA’s acting chief executive Jacques Faul has said. Kamal made a request to CSA president Willie Basson last week and offered to pay all the costs, whether the series takes place in Bangladesh or South Africa.”We have received the request and we are in the process of checking whether it would be possible,” Faul told ESPNcricinfo. “We’ve got nothing against it, it’s just about scheduling. At the moment, I can say it is a request we are looking at.”Faul will meet with the South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) and national coach Gary Kirsten next week to discuss the possibility of playing the series. He said the decision will be based on South Africa’s schedule and whether this fixture can be included without causing fatigue. “We always want to play cricket and foster cricket but we’ve got to be careful with how much preparation and how much rest we give our team,” Faul said. “It is quite important how we pace the team.”Bangladesh have no international cricket scheduled before the World Twenty20 in September. Their trip to Pakistan, for an ODI and a T20 later this month, was put on hold after a court order placed a four-week embargo on the tour, and their visit to Zimbabwe in August was postponed because of work being done on the pitches in Harare and Bulawayo.By contrast, South Africa’s schedule is busy. Having already spent a month in New Zealand, they will go to England for more than two months in early July, head straight to Sri Lanka for the World T20, tour Australia in October and November and then host New Zealand during the home summer.Even if all parties agree the Bangladesh-South Africa series should go ahead, it will face a number of logistical problems. With the IPL only ending on May 27, South Africa could be without some of their key players. Twenty South African players, including limited-overs captain AB de Villiers and bowlers Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, are involved in the IPL. Bangladesh, though, only have two players in the competition – Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal.Another issue will be location. The matches are unlikely to be held in Bangladesh because of the heat in summer and Faul confirmed South Africa, where it will be winter in May, was the only possibility as a venue. “Winter will be a factor for sure,” Faul said. “Durban is a possible venue but the Highveld [Johannesburg and Centurion] will be out.” Cape Town, where in rains in winter, will also not be a possibility.Another option would be for the series to be held in Zimbabwe, who were approached by the BCB to participate in a tri-series with South Africa. While Zimbabwe Cricket officials could not be reached on Sunday for confirmation on whether they received the request and were considering it, cricket can be played there during their winter. They will host South Africa for five T20 matches, which have not been given international status, in June before maintenance work on their two main centres begins.Zimbabwe could also travel to South Africa for the proposed tri-series and Faul said CSA would welcome the idea. “We always try to help Zimbabwe, we have an obligation to them because we are closest to them and we try to look after them where we can.”

Deccan Chargers were handcuffed by Yuvraj Singh’s round-arm left-arm spin, submitting to a middling total after a flashy start

The Bulletin by Sidharth Monga10-May-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Yuvraj Singh led the Pune effort with the ball•AFP

Deccan Chargers were handcuffed by Yuvraj Singh’s round-arm left-arm spin, submitting to a middling total after a flashy start. They lost two wickets to Yuvraj at crucial junctures, and scored only 17 off his four overs. Mitchell Marsh and Rahul Sharma did their bit too, conceding 49 in their eight overs. Marsh was rewarded handsomely with three wickets in the 19th over with frustrated batsmen looking to force the pace. Jesse Ryder and Manish Pandey made light work of the chase, although this game was inconsequential to qualification for further rounds.The match might not have an impact on who goes to the playoffs, but it grew immensely as drama when Yuvraj announced at the toss that Sourav Ganguly was finally going to play in this year’s IPL. Having been ignored by his home side Kolkata Knight Riders, and picked by Pune Warriors only after an injury to Ashish Nehra, Ganguly came in to bat with the win more or less in the bag, but found time to hit a trademark six over midwicket off Amit Mishra in an unbeaten, run-a-ball 32. One member of the enthusiastic crowd found his way onto the ground, and fell at his feet during the break after Robin Uthappa’s wicket.The chase by then seemed easy, but with the way Shikhar Dhawan and DB Ravi Teja started the game, a facile win would have been the last thing on Pune Warriors’ minds. They brought up the fifty in the sixth over, but Yuvraj dismissed Dhawan in his first over, and the squeeze that followed slowed Deccan down. Five fours and two sixes were hit in the first six overs, only six boundaries in the rest of the piece.Dhawan and Teja were good against the medium pace of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Shrikanth Wagh, and Dhawan welcomed Rahul Sharma and Wayne Parnell to the crease with sixes. When he tried to do the same to Yuvraj, who had brought himself on to stop the bleeding, the bowler pulled the length back, bowled a little slower, and Dhawan could only sky him to cover. Marsh followed it up with a played-on dismissal of Teja’s. At 56 for 2 in the eighth over, Kumar Sangakkara and JP Duminy tried to make sure there were no more quick strikes.However, Rahul beat Sangakkara’s sweep with a flat, straight delivery. Yuvraj came back, and tortured Daniel Christian with deliveries that wouldn’t spin. Finally Christian played around his front pad to be caught dead plumb. At 98 for 3 in the 15th over, the onus was on Duminy to take Deccan to a good total. However, as has been the case of late, Duminy couldn’t make a telling contribution, managing a run-a-ball 30.Dale Steyn, faced with the prospect of defending a pedestrian total, took matters in his own hands, and scored 10 off the last over, in the process scoring only the third boundary since the 15th over. Ryder, though, was quick to see off the only threat to their chase. He punched, drove and hooked Steyn for four, four and six in the first over. Between them, Ryder and Pandey scored 84 off 62, which basically finished off the chase.

Michael Carberry struck a second century of the season as Hampshire limped to 300 all out against Nottinghamshire on day one of their County Championship match

04-May-2010

ScorecardMichael Carberry struck a second century of the season as Hampshire limped to 300 all out against Nottinghamshire on day one of their County Championship match.On a good pitch, Carberry was the only batsmen to take full advantage as Hampshire’s early season struggles – which have so far seen them lose five consecutive games in all competitions – continued.Carberry and fellow opener Jimmy Adams appeared to be laying the foundations for a solid total after proceeding without major incident to 40 with loss. But after Adams departed, caught behind off the bowling of Paul Franks, Hants innings spluttered to a near standstill in the face of good bowling from Franks, Charlie Shreck and Darren Pattinson.Only the impressive hitting of Carberry, no doubt eager to remind the England selectors of his undoubted quality, kept the scoreboard ticking over as Shreck rushed out Chris Benham and Neil McKenzie in quick succession to leave Hants on 77 for 3.England under-19 star James Vince looked confident and played with great intent for a run-a-ball 39 as he and Carberry briefly threatened to steady the ship. But Vince’s dismissal to one-time England cap Pattinson – which was swiftly followed by Nic Pothas’ to the same bowler – tilted the initiative deservedly back in Nottinghamshire’s favour.Carberry, however, remained unmoved, playing with the sort of poise, controlled aggression and willingness to dominate which so characterised his performances last season and deservedly earned him winter international honours.But while Carberry demonstrated tangible top-level quality in the watery sunshine, so his team-mates continued to flounder. Lower order cameos from Sean Ervine and Dominic Cork were both cut short in the early 20s by the spin of Samit Patel, heaping yet more responsibility on Carberry’s shoulders.Shorn of able partners and with his side still short of par on a playable and fair surface, Carberry sought to press whatever slim advantage remained available to the home side, with some expansive shots.But with his on score on 132, Carberry finally let his vice-like grip on his innings slip, trudging off to generous applause with Hants on 276 for 8. The Hants tailed wag somewhat to drag the score to 300, but as the impressive Pattinson rounded off the innings with his third wicket, few could doubt Notts had enjoyed the better of an intriguing opening day.

Tom Bailey, Will Williams take two wickets apiece with Kent still well adrift in second innings

ECB Reporters Network25-Jun-2024Lancashire were closing in on a huge victory in their Vitality County Championship with Kent at Canterbury, having reduced the hosts to 143 for 6 at stumps on day three. Kent still trail by 162 with just four second innings wickets remaining, Charlie Stobo and Beyers Swanepoel the not out batters on 25 and 18 respectively.Lancashire declared on 549 for 9, a lead of 305, with Josh Bohannon making 205 and Matty Hurst 50, while George Garrett took 3 for 89.Will Williams and Tom Bailey then both took two wickets apiece to leave Kent six down at stumps. Ben Compton was their highest scorer with just 37 and the chances of them escaping with anything other than a heavy defeat to their relegation rivals are bleak.The only question at the start of day three was how long Lancashire were going to bat for, with a lead of 158 already in the bank, although for a side who’d been pummelled for four straight sessions Kent at least managed to stop Lancashire from scoring too freely.Bohannon reached his double-hundred with a pushed single off Matt Parkinson, before his former team-mate finally got him out lbw with a ball that might have been going down the leg side.Hurst eased to fifty with a single off Joey Evison but he was then stumped by Harry Finch when he tried to charge at Parkinson. It was 499 for 6 at lunch, during which a band called the “Useless Pluckers” performed, prompting one Lancastrian observer to remark: “They’re not Goons’N’Roses.”Garrett took all three of his wickets after the interval, which at least prevented an onslaught. Jack Blatherwick tried to hit him out of the ground and went for 18, caught by sub fielder Jaydn Denly. Garrett then had George Balderson caught behind for 42 and when Bailey skied him to Parkinson, Lancashire declared.They didn’t have to wait long for a wicket: Williams had Marcus O’Riordan caught at first slip by George Bell for 4 in the fourth over.Nathan Lyon came on after 12 overs but it was George Balderson who struck next, pinning Daniel Bell-Drummond lbw for 9 to leave Kent on 59 for 2 at tea.Compton always looked like being the key wicket but he inexplicably tried to slog Bailey and the ball flew in the air off his bottom edge. He spread his arms wide in despair well before Bell took the catch when the ball finally fell to earth.Williams sent Evison’s off stump flying for 10, Bailey had Tawanda Muyeye caught behind for a six-ball duck and Finch lasted for 56 balls for 23 until Lyon had him caught by Bohannon at mid-on.Swanepoel, who’d been unable to bowl, came out with O’Riordan as a runner and caused confusion by running anyway, but he and Stobo at least managed to drop anchor for the final 11.4 overs to take the game to a final day.

Meanwhile, Jemimah Rodrigues said the WPL would be a “blessing in disguise” for the India players following the World Cup semi-final exit

Vishal Dikshit02-Mar-2023India have come agonisingly close to beating world champions Australia in two thrilling knockout games in the last seven months and captain Harmanpreet Kaur believes a tournament like WPL will help bridge the gap between the two teams in the future. India lost out on a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games last year when they fell nine runs short against Australia in the final and recently lost the semi-final of the T20 World Cup against them in close fashion. Harmanpreet was India’s top scorer and took them close with attacking knocks in both games, but the lower order couldn’t close out the chases.Those two losses were, however, much more promising for Indian cricket than the 85-run thrashing India received from the same opponents in the 2020 T20 World Cup final at the MCG.Related

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“I think this is a great platform for all Indian players because we have been missing this tournament for a long time,” Harmanpreet said of the WPL during a virtual press conference on Thursday. “Definitely for Australia and England the WBBL and Hundred have worked very well and after those tournaments they’ve got so much young talent. After the WPL we are also going to get some good talent and I’m sure the difference you’re talking about [between India and Australia sides] we’d love to cut down. When you see good talent coming up, you’re definitely going to make a good team after the WPL.”While chasing 162 at the CWG final in Birmingham, Harmanpreet led India’s charge with a quick fifty and they needed 44 from 30 balls with seven wickets in hand. But India slipped when Harmanpreet and Pooja Vastrakar got out on consecutive deliveries and couldn’t score 11 from the last over. In the World Cup semi-final last month, Harmanpreet again led India’s chase in counterattacking fashion after they were 28 for 3 in pursuit of 173. India needed to score a more comfortable 41 off 34 this time with six wickets in hand but Harmanpreet’s run-out when her bat got stuck just before the crease while completing a second run derailed India again.Delhi Capitals players Aparna Mondal, Alice Capsey, Meg Lanning, Jemimah Rodrigues and Arundhati Reddy•AFP via Getty Images

Jemimah Rodrigues: World Cup loss still haunting us

Jemimah Rodrigues played second fiddle to her captain in both those losses; her run-a-ball 33 was part of a third-wicket stand of 96 off 71 balls in the CWG final, and a more attacking 43 off 24 was crucial in a partnership of 69 off 41 with the captain in the World Cup semi-final.Soon after being named the Delhi Capitals vice-captain on Thursday afternoon in Mumbai, Rodrigues said the semi-final loss still lingered in her and her team-mates’ minds a week after the game. Rodrigues said having the WPL soon after the World Cup would be a “blessing in disguise” for the India players.”It’s not been easy after losing the semi-finals, a few days were really tough for all of us,” she said. “It took us a while to get out of it, we’ve still not gotten out of it. The WPL is like a blessing in disguise because it’s going to help us get involved and get busy in preparing for this that it’ll help us take our mind off the World Cup. But yes, those thoughts will keep haunting us.”Rodrigues also feels the WPL will help unearth promising Indian players who will make a difference in the future. “We have been pushing the doors for a very long time, we are getting there, we are getting very close. But I am sure the WPL will change a lot for women’s cricket. You will find many superstars coming out from it, many leaders, or many match-winners, I would say.”

There’s no lack of context in what is a World Cup year, but Lanning and Knight aren’t looking too far ahead as they face off in the ODI leg of the women’s Ashes

Andrew McGlashan02-Feb-2022The rest of this Ashes series will do well to match the drama of the Test that played out at Manuka Oval. It was a contest that may yet be pivotal in a sustained revival of the format in the women’s game.That is a longer-term ambition and one that the administrators need to take seriously (highlighted by the fact that there are currently no further Tests on the schedule), but in the immediate future there is an equally important challenge to focus the minds of Australia and England.Related

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Not that these ODIs, which will decide the Ashes, need any further context, but looming on the horizon is the World Cup in New Zealand. England are defending champions, Australia have long spoken of their drive to banish the memories of their semi-final exit in 2017, and their opening World Cup match is between each other on March 5. But Meg Lanning and Heather Knight are not looking further than these three outings.”We don’t want to think too far ahead because as soon as we do that it will come crashing down pretty quick,” Lanning said.”If we try and do the right things it will prepare us for the World Cup” Knight said. “We haven’t got our eye on that [the World Cup] at all, it’s all about that first game and trying to bring the good stuff we’ve done so far and polish a few things.”There was somewhat less raw emotion in Knight’s voice as she spoke on Wednesday compared to her post-Test interview with the BBC on Sunday evening. She knew how close her team had got to putting themselves ahead in the multi-format series and, in truth, knew they should have won.It could have been worse had those last 13 balls not been kept out by Sophie Ecclestone and Kate Cross because an Australia win would have finished the Ashes off there and then, but England now need to win the ODIs 3-0 to wrestle them back for the first time since 2013-14.That is a huge ask against a side that had a 26-match unbeaten run in the format until their most recent outing against India, but amid the agonising near-miss three days ago, Knight felt England had laid down a marker.”Felt like we were in a great position to win it and at the end there it felt a little bit like a loss, but the way we went at that chase was awesome,” she said. “I certainly think they were the most relieved with the draw. It’s shown that when we do go hard at them we can put them under pressure and create a few cracks.”Real character from the girls, to show that we can do that and want to go at the Australians. We’ve talked about it a lot before the series and so pleased that the girls put themselves out there and tried to chase it down.”England have won their three ODI series since cricket resumed in the pandemic – two against New Zealand and one against India – but their last meeting against Australia in the Ashes during the 2019 series was a 3-0 defeat.Those three matches were part of Australia’s winning streak – the third of them featuring Ellyse Perry’s 7 for 22 – and there remains understandable confidence in the one-day game. India pushed them harder than most earlier this season and, having narrowly seen victory slip away in the second match because of a waist-high full-toss, reset Australia’s counter to zero in the next game.There were some questions raised about Lanning’s captaincy when the pressure was on in the closing stages of the Test, although they were eventually able to pull a draw out of the fire with Annabel Sutherland and Alana King impressing in what effectively became one-day death bowling, albeit without wides and fielding restrictions.The Test at Manuka Oval was a contest that may yet be pivotal in a sustained revival of the format in the women’s game•Getty Images

So far the absence of Sophie Molineux and Georgia Wareham from the spin attack has been well covered, while quick Tayla Vlaeminck has since joined them in missing the World Cup, but it will be interesting to watch how Australia adapt in the 50-over game.Though Amanda-Jade Wellington is part of the World Cup squad as a second legspinner alongside King, Lanning indicated that she would not be drafted in for this series unless there was injury or illness, leaving the road clear for King to continue as first choice.”[The Test] turned into a bit of a one-day game and it does go to show that when you put partnerships together it’s pretty difficult to get wickets. So that’s a bit of a sign for the ODI series,” Lanning said. “From a bowling perspective, we need to be able to take wickets and put them under pressure, and from a batting point of view, when you get in you really need to make sure you are making the most of it.”We are really comfortable with our ODI game at the moment, feel like it’s in a good spot, but we need to make sure we bring our best to beat England.”Lanning confirmed that Megan Schutt would return, having been left out of the Test to manage her workload after Covid-19, while they could have either Ashleigh Gardner or Tahlia McGrath as low as No. 7. Knight said there were no injury concerns and a 12-player squad had already been narrowed down. It’s make or break for England.

Hafeez is out of self-isolation after breach of biosecurity protocols on golf course

Danyal Rasool13-Aug-2020Pakistan’s worries that there may have been a breach of the bubble they are supposed to maintain on tour appear to be over, with Mohammad Hafeez back with the squad, having returned a negative test for Covid-19.Hafeez was placed in self-isolation on Wednesday and underwent testing, but once the results came back negative on Thursday morning, he rejoined the rest of the squad.The Pakistan allrounder breached the regulations around social distancing during a round of golf on Wednesday. It came to light after he posted a picture on social media with a member of the public, a 90-year old woman who was not part of the biosecure bubble. Though the picture showed them maintaining some distance between them, it was evident they were within two metres of each other.The PCB released a statement acknowledging the breach, and announced that Hafeez was being tested and placed in self-isolation until the test results came back. It was termed an “inadvertent mistake”, with no further action to be taken. ESPNcricinfo understands the decision was taken in consultation with the ECB, whom the statement said were “updated of the decision”.The breach has seen the PCB take a significantly less austere approach than in other instances of breaches over the summer.England fast bowler Jofra Archer was stood down for the second Test and entered self-isolation for five days. He was only allowed to rejoin the side upon returning two negative tests.The same was required of West Indies head coach Phil Simmons, who left the team bubble to attend his father-in-law’s funeral.Earlier this week, 19-year old Kent batsman Jordan Cox was dropped for a Bob Willis Trophy fixture after posing for a photograph with young fans.The golf course where Hafeez committed the breach is open to members of the public, though the players have been instructed to maintain social distancing. Hafeez is not part of the Test squad, but will be in consideration for the T20I leg of the tour, beginning on August 28.Malik to join squad on FridayMeanwhile, Shoaib Malik will join the Pakistan squad on Friday, having earlier obtained permission to skip the first four weeks of training on the tour in order to spend time with his family. Fast bowler Mohammad Musa, who was picked as a back-up to the original 29-member Pakistan contingent on the tour, has been released.August 14, GMT 1140 The story was updated with the news of Malik joining the squad.

Virat Kohli said cracking in pressure moments has been the story of his team’s season

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Apr-20190:51

Siraj’s no-ball in the 18th over was the turning point – Negi

Kolkata Knight Riders’ win on Friday was the ninth instance of a team winning an IPL game when more than 90 were needed off the last seven overs. On six of those occasions, Royal Challengers Bangalore were the bowling side. It’s become a painfully familiar tale for Royal Challengers, who possess a batting line-up that seems to constantly carry the team. Captain Virat Kohli said as much after his team recorded a fifth consecutive loss in the season.”If we bowl like that, [and] we don’t show composure in pressure moments, we deserve to be where we are in the table,” Kohli said at the post-match presentation. “There’s no rocket science behind it. We haven’t played the kind of cricket we should be playing at the level of the IPL and if you bowl like that, with not enough bravery in the crunch moments, then it’s always going to be difficult when you have power-hitters like [Andre] Russell in the opposition.”I think we needed to be more clinical in the last four overs. That was just one-dimensional in the end and nothing came off. We cracked a little under pressure and that’s been the story of the season.”Russell has been on a streak that is far removed from the type Royal Challengers are having. He’s made scores of 48* off 13, 62 off 28, 48 off 17, and 49* of 19, with a combined 22 sixes in four games. Almost each time, he has single-handedly turned the match for his team, whether they have batted first or second. On Friday, the total being chased – 206 – was the highest Knight Riders have ever chased, and the highest they had been set this season.Kohli reckoned Royal Challengers could have added 20-25 more to the total, but didn’t let hindsight come in the way of the glaring problem at hand.”I wasn’t really happy getting out that moment [in the 18th over],” he said. “[We] could have added 20-25 more had we gone on. And then AB [de Villiers] didn’t get much strike in the end as well. He lost a bit of momentum too. In hindsight they [scores] are never good, but if you can’t defend 75 in four overs then you don’t know how many are enough. You can’t have 100 in the last over to defend. You have to look at things in hindsight but I thought the runs were enough on the board. If you saw the ball, the way it spun and stuck in the wicket, it wasn’t that easy. But we just didn’t have composure.”Royal Challengers have a day to recover, before they host Delhi Capitals on Sunday, which means little time to think about major changes. He suggested the best way to go about such a break was to give the players some space.”We have a bit of a chat about what went wrong and what happened in the game,” he said of the immediate response to the loss. “But apart from that there’s not much to say. You can talk as much as you want but you’ve got to go on the field and actually do the job. [I don’t think] talking enough helps all the time, you just need to give the guys a little bit of space, try to come back stronger in the next game, try to get on a roll on a winning note. It’s been a difficult season for us so far but we’re still optimistic about our chances and we just have to believe that we can turn things around.”