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Nic Pothas, the Hampshire wicketkeeper-batsman who played in the Indian Cricket League earlier this year, has threatened to take legal action if he is barred from Twenty20 Champions League in case his team qualifies for the event.”It is a ridiculous situation,” Pothas told the . “What the Indians [referring to the Indian board] fail to acknowledge is that there are rules and regulations on this side of the world.”We have rights as professionals and, if I needed to, I would seek redress through the law. This is my job, and if someone tries to stop me working I would go to court.”However, Lalit Modi, the commissioner of the Indian Premier League, and one of the key figures in the organisation of the Champions League, reiterated that county sides that field ICL players will not be able to take part in the tournament. “One of the rules for ICC tournaments is that players cannot appear in unofficial tournaments. That is that.”We have all discussed this issue, and the boards know where they stand,” Modi said. “New Zealand even went as far as dropping Shane Bond from their team because he played for the ICL, and there will be no exceptions made for English counties.”In case Pothas goes to court, he has the benefit of precedence: his fellow ICL players Andrew Hall, Justin Kemp and Johan van der Wath, had on April 30, won an appeal against an ECB block on them being registered to play in England this summer.

Mohammad Yousuf, the Pakistan batsman, has once again expressed his disappointment at missing out on an opportunity to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL), while urging the Pakistan board to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.Yousuf signed up for the Indian Cricket League (ICL) last year before he was urged to renege on that contract by the PCB, with the carrot of the IPL acting as one of the incentives.But the ICL insisted that as Yousuf had signed a contract he should not be allowed to play in any other league including the IPL. The matter went to a court of arbitration in Mumbai, which [please link] passed an interim order earlier this month barring Yousuf from playing in the IPL.On the eve of his departure to England to play for Lancashire, Yousuf reminded Nasim Ashraf, the PCB chairman, of his promise to resolve the matter.”It’s very sad missing out on the IPL. I left the ICL on the insistence of the chairman and I did that for the country,” Yousuf told . “I ended up playing for neither. This matter should be resolved because the chairman promised me he would do it and it should be done quickly.”How quickly it can happen is open to question. The PCB wants to file an appeal against the interim order in the Mumbai High Court but has yet to do so. Other legal matters, according to the board’s lawyer, such as the Shoaib Akhtar defamation lawsuit and the Salim Malik appeal, have prevented an appeal from being filed so far.”We have appointed a senior Mumbai advocate, Iqbal Chagla, to represent us in this case in the Mumbai High Court,” Taffazul Rizvi, PCB’s lawyer, told Cricinfo. “In the next few days we will discuss the issue amongst ourselves and then direct our representative in Mumbai to file the appeal.”Yousuf signed a short-term contract with Lancashire to keep himself busy in an otherwise empty international calendar. He has played one championship game for them so far, before returning to Pakistan briefly, and will now resume his contract, which runs till the beginning of June.

A spectacular thunderstorm interrupted a Sri Lankan fight-back on the fourth afternoon of the second Test at SuperSport Park on Monday, frustrating the visitors who need to win this Test to level the series.Marvan Atapattu’s side had responded strongly in their second innings afterbowling out the South Africans for 448 in the morning with left-hander KumarSangakkara scoring a brilliant boundary-studded 89 from 132 balls.But shortly after the dismissal of Sangakkara, who was athletically caught down the leg-side by Mark Boucher for the second consecutive Test, the players were forced off the field for bad light.Sri Lanka were 180 for three with a 55 runs lead. Although play will start half an hour early on Tuesday, Sri Lanka do not appear to have sufficient time to build a sufficient lead and then bowl out a long South African batting line-up.South Africa, however, believe they can force a result having just claimed the crucial wicket of Sangakkara, ending a 119-run partnership with Mahela Jayawardene that was shifting the initiative towards the tourists."If we can strike early tomorrow morning and break this partnership then they have a long tail and we can chase down a target in the second innings," said Shaun Pollock afterwards.But he warned against complacency: "You can’t rule out anything in cricket. However, the Sri Lankans will have to bat quickly tomorrow and be inventive with their declaration if they are going to have a chance."Earlier in the day, Pollock had narrowly missed out on a third Test century,left stranded on 99 not out when last man Ntini was caught at mid-off attempting an ambitious lofted drive.Pollock looked crestfallen, ignoring Ntini as he marched back to the dressing room, but he had contributed to his unfortunate fate by deciding not to shield Ntini from the strike and taking a first ball single against Chaminda Vaas.He had started the morning in aggressive fashion, taking the attack to Muttiah Muralitharan whom he reverse-swept for four and then slog-swept mightily for six to move within touching distance of his hundred.If Pollock had scored a hundred it would have been the third time that he had passed three figures at this venue, after 111 against Sri Lanka on their last tour and 113* against the Indians in a warm-up game.He finished with 99 from 170 balls, having hit eight fours and two sixes during an innings that ensured his side a valuable first innings lead by the time they were finally bowled out for 448, an innings that started on Saturday morning and spanned a total of 166.3 overs.Pollock thus becomes the fourth batsman in Test history to be left stranded on 99, after England fast bowler Alex Tudor (1999), opener Geoff Boycott (1979-80) and Steve Waugh (1994-95).Left-armer Vaas finished the innings with two for 81 from 33.3 overs andMuralitharan ended up bowling 57 overs for his two wickets.The Sri Lankan innings had then started disastrously when rookie opener Jehan Mubarak (15), so impressive in the first innings, was adjudged to have edged a catch to Mark Boucher off Makhaya Ntini. Replays showed clear daylight between bat and ball.Stand-in captain Marvan Atapattu (22) – cracked on the helmet early on in his innings during a brisk new-ball burst from Ntini – then became the 13th Sri Lankan in the series to be dismissed between 20 and 50 when he flashed a catch to Boucher.Sangakkara and Jayawardene were given a searching examination by the freshSouth Africa fast bowlers, who had spent the best part of two days with their feet up in the dressing room. But the pair gradually settled and in the half hour before tea they pushed their foot down on the accelerator.Jayawardene nearly threw his wicket away when Pollock grabbed his helmet in jest when the right-hander top edged an attempted hook. Furious with the South African captain for touching him, he lost his cool and clearly distracted he could have been run out shortly afterwards whilst ambling through for a leg bye.The umpires were forced to intervene, asking both sides to calm down. In theevent the tea interval allowed Jayawardene to regain his composure and hefinished the day unbeaten on 40. Tillakaratne, the first innings centurion, is yet to score.

Thanks to the rain, which washed out three sessions on the first two days, and a two-paced flat pitch, the match between Sri Lanka and a Rest of South Africa XI petered out into a tame draw at the Lenasia Cricket Stadium.Sri Lanka declared their first innings on 336 for five after good contributions from Mahela Jayawardene (76), Hashan Tillakaratne (79*) and Hasantha Fernando (57*). The South African bowlers had toiled long and hard, with Garnett Kruger (1/81) and Jon Kent (2/32) the pick.The South Africans replied with 392, thanks primarily to a fine 146 from Davey Jacobs. Dropped on 43, he was most aggressive against the bowling of Muttiah Muralitharan, taking 67 from the 60 balls he received from the wrist spinner, who finished with figures of 31-1-136-3.Ruchira Perera was most impressive among the rest of the bowlers, taking 2/65, with Fernando angling for his first Test call-up with 1/34.Sri Lanka started their second innings with less than a day to go. Having been restricted, due to the wet conditions in the Johannesburg area, to indoor nets, their batsmen enjoyed a welcome practice session.Russel Arnold, who had failed on three occasions, showed that time at thecrease might be the best remedy. His timing improved as his innings progressed, and he looked set for a hundred when he chased one outside the off to be caught behind for 98.Marvan Atapattu, also caught behind for 81, showed that he could be a thorn in South African flesh in the Test series. Seldom playing the ball in the air, he showed solid defence and played some classy cover drives in his 12 boundaries.Sanath Jayasuriya and Kumar Sangakkara also made the most of the flat pitch. Both were uncharacteristically defensive, but after Sangakkara went to his fifty he unleashed a flurry of shots, including consecutive fours and a six off James Henderson.The moribund game was called off 30 minutes early with Sri Lanka 265/2, a lead of 209, with Sangakkara on 61. The Sri Lanka coach, Dav Whatmore, was pleased with his players’ performance, which sets them up well for the WanderersStadium on Friday.

Opener Shaharyar Farrukh slammed 119 as Karachi Greens made 317 in their first innings on the first day of the three-day National Junior (Under-19) Grade-II Cricket Championship semifinal against Sibi at PCB Regional Academy Ground here Sunday.Sibi, in reply, were struggling at 66 for three at stumps.Shaharyar’s knock was spiced with 15 fours and three sixes after Karachi Greens skipper Vinod Ramesh won the toss and elected to bat first.Owais Ahmed was the other main scorer. He hit six boundaries in making 49.Slow left-armer Talat Khan took the bowling honours with excellent figures of six for 89 in 31.1 overs.Meanwhile, Afaq Raheem made 147 as Azad Jammu and Kashmir were dismissed for 267 in the other semifinal against Gujranwala at Jinnah Stadium, Gujranwala.Paceman Ali Imran claimed five for 55.The home team replied with 79 for three.

Somerset Sabres, who are already doomed to the second division next season, give two young players their chance to shine when they play against Durham in the NUL National League at the Riverside Ground at Chester le Street tomorrow.Wes Durston and Arul Suppiah are brought into the team and will both be looking to continue the run of good form that they have been showing in recent second eleven matches.Durston, who is a former Millfield School pupil is twenty one years old and hails from Glastonbury is a middle order right handed batsman and an off break bowler. Suppiah is also a former Millfield pupil, and celebrated his nineteenth birthday last Friday. He is a top order right handed batsman and slow left armer, who is currently attending Exeter University.Ahead of tomorrow’s game Kevin Shine told me: "We are having to rest a few people at the moment to try to make sure that we get them right for the vital championship match against on Wednesday. We have got two players making their NUL debuts, Wes Durston and Arul Suppiah who have both performed well in the second eleven and also gave a good account of themselves against West Indies ‘A’ recently."The side will be captained by Marcus Trescothick who gets another outing for the county before playing for England in the final test match on Thursday.The full Somerset team is: Marcus Trescothick, Matt Wood, Pete Trego, Arul Suppiah, Ian Blackwell, Wes Durston, Rob Turner, Keith Dutch, Matt Bulbeck, Simon Francis, Steffan Jones.

Kieron Pollard, West Indies’ captain, has pleaded for patience as the region begins to rebuild its T20 fortunes in the wake of a disappointing World Cup campaign, and warned that the franchise nature of the Caribbean Premier League means that there is no longer a ready route for the next generation to arrive at international level with all the tools required for success.Speaking on the eve of the first T20I against England in Barbados, Pollard acknowledged that the team was at “Ground Zero” after their rock-bottom displays in the UAE, where a golden generation – epitomised by its two most long-serving stars, Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo – played together for the last time.West Indies come into this campaign off the back of a 2-1 defeat in last week’s ODI series against Ireland, while a new-look team – led by stand-in captain Nicholas Pooran – was beaten 3-0 by Pakistan in Karachi before Christmas. But Pollard called for the Caribbean public to accept that the rebuild could take some time, especially against an England team that routed them for 55 in their most recent encounter at the World Cup.”We need to improve the way we play, because our batting has definitely been a problem for us,” Pollard said. “The good thing is that we have some new faces in the group, guys looking to make a name for themselves in our international scene. It’s like we are starting from scratch, so we need to do the basics right. Play the situation of the game and analyse, assess, and make the right decisions, depending on what the team requires at that point in time.”Pollard’s own breakthrough in professional cricket came as a 19-year-old in the original Stanford 20/20 – the inter-island competition set up by the now-disgraced financier Allen Stanford, which Pollard’s Trinidad and Tobago team won in each of its two editions in 2006 and 2008.Now, however, that competition has been subsumed into the Caribbean Premier League, with a draft system for recruiting players and an expectation of success from the owners of the region’s various franchises. And while the money is welcome for the tournament’s established stars, Pollard warns that this causes problems for the Caribbean’s younger talents trying to make their way in the game.”We don’t have a T20 feeder system, where guys can get different match practice at different times,” Pollard said. “The CPL is results-oriented, with private owners who come in and want to win. Some guys might get to play, some guys might not, but we have to keep a bunch of guys together and give them experience. Chopping and changing, and dropping and bringing in, is not going to change our results, because these guys are actually learning on the job.Related

• West Indies crashed and burned in the 2021 World Cup. How do they turn their T20I fortunes around?

• Odean Smith models ambition 'to be one of the world's top allrounders' on idol Andre Russell

• New beginnings for England and West Indies as the roadshow rolls on

“When you look at Indian cricket, when you look at the English system [the T20 Blast in addition to the Hundred], you look at the Big Bash, these have alternative T20 systems that some of the guys can come through. How many guys do we have that were made through the CPL only? When it was the Caribbean T20, there were a lot of guys coming through the system. I don’t know how we’re going to do it [in the future], but we need to find a way.”At the age of 34, Pollard is himself under pressure as a member of West Indies’ old guard, especially after making just 90 runs in five matches at the World Cup. But he is adamant his overall form still stands up to scrutiny, as he primes himself to begin the team’s post-World Cup rebuild.”Before the World Cup, there was no noise about the captaincy, but because of the campaign that transpired, it is necessary,” he said. “In each and every tournament that you have, whether it’s the World Cup or the Ashes, you expect casualties.”If I’m not the right person to lead, then so it, but cricket in the West Indies is not about Kieron Pollard. It’s about the holistic approach of getting better, and grooming the youngsters, to put them in positions where they can feel comfortable in international cricket.”I’ve never played cricket based on myself. I’ve always been based on the team and what is required at that point in time. I’m not just going to promote myself because I want to get a fifty, and I want to please the public, but if it is required, you can bet your bottom dollar, I’m going to put on that boxing glove and I am going to go there and fight for the team.”We have a rich bunch of talented young individuals. Nicholas [Pooran] has been promoted to No. 3 so that he can take more responsibility as well. We have a couple of new guys into the set-up. Each and every one of us has to play our role, and that’s the only way that the vehicle can move forward.”The stadium, the pitch, that’s our stage, we have to perform there,” Pollard added. “And the crowd is like the jury, and they want to judge. The public can go ahead. As it stands right now, going into the series, I’m going to give it my best. And let’s see what happens after that.”

Once he gets going, there is quite simply no stopping him. Dynamic, powerful and with the ability to hit sixes at will; a revolutionary, a game-changer. Andre Russell has helped to redefine the scope of short-format batting in and of itself, with his ability to fuse his natural strength with the sheer level of skill that he has developed over time.With an astonishing 90 not out off 32 deliveries, ‘Dre Russ’ saved his very best till last to secure a first-ever Abu Dhabi T10 title for the Deccan Gladiators in devastating style, as they thrashed the Delhi Bulls in the tournament’s final.Alongside Tom Kohler-Cadmore, who smashed 59 not out off 28 himself, the pair put up 159 without loss in their ten overs, with an exhibition-like batting display. There could have been no better moment to score the highest total of the T10 season, as they battered the ball all around the Zayed Cricket Ground.Related

• Drakes four-for helps ensure Team Abu Dhabi wait goes on

• Kohler-Cadmore, Hasaranga have Gladiators dreaming of T10 title

• Hasaranga five-for seals win after Kohler-Cadmore fireworks

• Drakes: 'I don't want to look back and say I had a better 2021 than 2022. I don't want to be stagnant'

• Wahab: 'I'm playing all around the world, but my country comes first'

For the second successive day and the fourth time in the tournament, the Bulls fell short against a Gladiators outfit, led expertly by Wahab Riaz. Dwayne Bravo’s side’s wait for a first T10 title continues after another final defeat, to add to their loss in February.For much of his career, Russell has played the finisher role better than anyone else. It took the Gladiators until the last game of the league phase of the Abu Dhabi T10 to recognise that the nature of the 10-over format meant that leaving Russell in the middle order risked wasting their single most valuable resource.For nine of the ten games, Russell came in to bat at No. 3 or below. Yes, the Gladiators were winning, but their prized asset and his qualities were yet to be truly exploited. After 43 not out in the first game, scores of 0, 9*, 4, 3, 3*, 4*, 22 and 4 indicated of a man that wasn’t really getting the chance to get going and do what he had done in franchise leagues all around the world.On Wednesday against the Bangla Tigers, knowing that qualification into the play-offs was secured, they sent him in to open alongside Kohler-Cadmore. Together, the pair put on 128 but it was Kohler-Cadmore who took centre stage with 96. Russell played an uncharacteristic back-up role with 26 not out but Wahab hailed his attacking intent.”It was about giving much more time and opportunity to someone like Andre [Russell],” he explained. “He’s shown across the world that he’s not just a batter who bats the last three or four overs. He may not have got many runs but his intent was there and at the end of the day, he puts pressure on the bowler because he is Andre Russell.”Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Andre Russell were in fine form•Abu Dhabi T10

That fact alone was the difference on Saturday night in Abu Dhabi, as Russell epitomised exactly why he is revered across the cricketing world and exactly why the Kolkata Knight Riders chose to retain him ahead of the IPL auction.On Friday night against the Bulls, with a place in the final on the line, Russell blitzed 39 off 14, before dismissing both Eoin Morgan and Dwayne Bravo to seal their place in the final. On Saturday, he went one better with a ruthless clinic of hitting, smashing nine fours and seven sixes.There was no hint of mercy, not least for his fellow West Indians. Each of Bravo, Ravi Rampaul, Dominic Drakes and Romario Shepherd were sent all over the park; Drakes went into the final as the joint highest wicket-taker, but went wicketless and was ultimately dispatched for 33 off his two overs.Instead, Wanindu Hasaranga took home the prize for most wickets, after picking up the prized scalps of Morgan and a well-set Chandrapaul Hemraj. That was after Odean Smith had made early inroads, getting rid of the in-form Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sherfane Rutherford in his first over.Smith is a 25-year-old who possesses Russell-like traits with his ruthless six-hitting ability, his knack of striking with the ball and not least, his Jamaican heritage. Tymal Mills was brought on by Wahab to perform the last rites and with the dismissal of Drakes and Bravo, he finished with figures of two wickets for just four runs in his two overs.It was fitting that the man of the night, would have the final say. With a searing yorker off the last-ball of the Bulls chase, Russell cleaned up the stumps of Shepherd to start the party for the Gladiators. He roared with delight and his first embrace was a jubilant one with his captain Wahab, before he was lofted up joyously by his fellow teammates. “In a relaxed environment, you get to be you and express yourself,” Russell said. Express himself, he did.Michael Atherton once wrote that “if you were constructing a perfect prototype of a Twenty20 cricketer in a laboratory, Andre Russell, the Jamaican allrounder, would serve as an ideal template. He is physically imposing, a brutal hitter of the ball, a bowler of waspish pace and a brilliant all-round fielder”. His finishing act to conclude Season 5 of the Abu Dhabi T10 certified his standing in the game as one of the all-time greats.

Match facts

May 19, 2017
Start time 10.45am local (0945 GMT)Tamim Iqbal’s good recent form will leave the onus of building the innings with him•AFP

Big picture

A win percentage of 31.5 in completed ODIs since the start of last year pretty much encapsulates how far Ireland have slid in recent times. In two series preceding the ongoing tri-nation tournament, they lost 2-3 to Afghanistan in Greater Noida, before being swept 2-0 by England in England.Conditions played a part in their toils against Afghanistan as Ireland couldn’t quite cope with the slow surfaces in Greater Noida and succumbed to a team that clearly had superior spin stocks. The familiarity of the cold, harsh climes of Malahide, however, hasn’t bred success for them either: they came up short against a weakened New Zealand team, led by Tom Latham.An ageing team has also played a part – the average age of their XI against New Zealand was 29. Veterans like William Porterfield, Niall O’Brien, Kevin O’Brien and Gary Wilson – all of whom played significant roles in Ireland becoming the top Associate nation – are well into their 30s now.Bangladesh’s graph has moved in the opposite direction. Since making the 2015 World Cup quarterfinal, series wins over Pakistan, India and South Africa have made them a force to be reckoned with in home conditions. They came into the tri-series fresh off levelling Test, ODI and T20I series on the tour of Sri Lanka. However, their recent record outside the subcontinent hasn’t been too encouraging. They returned from their tour of New Zealand without a single win in eight international games across formats and have also had mixed results in Ireland overall, with four wins from eight international matches.

Form guide

Ireland LLLLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Bangladesh LLWLL

In the spotlight

Peter Chase, the 23-year old right-arm pacer, has had a mixed start to his ODI career. Chase has 23 wickets from 16 matches, but also averages 38.95 and has an economy rate of 6.83. His performances in this series have typified that. In the opener, he rocked Bangladesh with early strikes before rain intervened, and finished with 3 for 33 in six overs. In his next match, he was slapped for 74 runs in ten overs by New Zealand. Chase can generate pace and bounce and, in conditions amiable for pace-bowling, this series is an opportunity to bring some consistency in his game and step up in the absence of senior bowler Boyd Rankin.Tamim Iqbal has one fifty and a century from his last five outings with the bat. His good form augurs well given Bangladesh’s tendency to lose wickets in a cluster, often from good positions. Tamim’s experience is also welcome in what are likely to be tough batting conditions.

Team news

Ireland gave Simi Singh an ODI debut in place of Stuart Thompson against New Zealand, and Simi had a forgettable match scoring 9 off 14 balls in a chase of 290. Thompson himself had replaced Ed Joyce in the series opener against Bangladesh. If Joyce has recovered from his back injury, it is fairly certain neither Simi nor Thompson will find a place in the XI.Ireland (probable) 1 William Porterfield (capt), 2 Paul Stirling, 3 Niall O’Brien (wk), 4 Andy Balbirnie, 5 Kevin O’Brien, 6 Gary Wilson, 7 Stuart Thompson/Ed Joyce, 8 George Dockrell, 9 Barry McCarthy, 10 Tim Murtagh, 11 Peter ChaseIn Bangladesh’s previous match, against New Zealand, Taskin Ahmed made way for the returning Mashrafe Mortaza, who had missed the first match due to an over-rate suspension. Bangladesh failed to defend 257, but with Mustafizur Rahman and Rubel Hossain both taking wickets, Taskin will likely miss out again.Bangladesh (probable) 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Sabbir Rahman, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Mosaddek Hossain, 8 Mehedi Hasan, 9 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 10 Rubel Hossain, 11 Mustafizur Rahman

Pitch and conditions

The Malahide pitch is known for being green and pace-friendly but it also turned out to be a good batting track in the previous match between New Zealand and Ireland. Spinners from both sides also did well, with Mitchell Santner claiming a five-for. While it is expected to be partly sunny around start time, rain is forecast at noon and there is cloud cover expected right through the afternoon.

Stats and trivia

• Mahmudullah needs 28 more to complete 3000 runs in ODI cricket.
• The average scoring rate in the first innings in Malahide is 5.7, which translates into an average first-innings score of 285.

After Royal Challengers Bangalore ambled to their second sub-hundred total and lost by 61 runs, a visibly disconsolate captain Virat Kohli conceded that his team lost the game rather than Rising Pune Supergiant winning it.”I think it is everyone for see. We lost that game. It is hard for a captain to stand here and speak after performances like these,” Kohli said after the side’s third successive loss. “But, [I have] got to embrace it, got to take it in the journey, take it in my stride and move forward and learn from these kind of games, these kind of days.”We are just not getting good performances together. It is lack of intent, guys fearful of getting out and failing and that’s never a good feeling. So, that’s all it boils down to. We lost the game rather than them winning it.Royal Challengers barely escaped being bowled out for the third game in a row after totals of 49 and 134 in their last two completed games. With the exception of Kohli – he made 55 of the team’s total of 96 for 9 – the other batsmen finished with single digits. Royal Challengers were on 49 for 5 at one stage and didn’t strike a single six until the 17th over. Kohli couldn’t point to any specific reason as to how how a batting line-up consisting of himself, AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle could fail continuously.”Could be a few reasons, could be expectations, could be even looking at our side,” Kohli said. “We made the playoffs last year, good batting line-up, so all kinds of things play in your head. You can’t really pinpoint something unless you know as an individual. It could be hesitation to get out, hesitation to get runs, all those sort of things as batsmen, you know, they can creep in very quickly.”Mathematically, Royal Challengers could still make the playoffs, but Kohli didn’t rate their chances too highly. “We are almost not in the race for the playoffs now, pretty much All we can do now is just enjoy the four games,” he said. “Not worry about failing, not worry about not getting runs and just go out there and express ourselves.”Coach Daniel Vettori reiterated Kohli’s statements on staying focused for the next four games. “There are still four more games to go and they are really important for the pride of the franchise,” Vettori said. “We travel to Mumbai tomorrow. We need to play well there.”Vettori was pleased that Royal Challengers’ bowlers had restricted Rising Pune to 157. He was particularly appreciative of Pawan Negi, who conceded only 18 runs in his four overs and picked up Rahul Tripathi’s wicket. “Our bowling performances throughout the season have been exceptional. A real improvement from where we were last year and some of that is down to the wickets we have played on,” Vettori said.When asked about the batting failures, Vettori admitted that they had a different batting line-up in mind at the start of the season, but injuries to KL Rahul and Sarfaraz Khan forced a rethink in strategy. “A number of guys I suppose, aren’t in the form expected of them,” Vettori said. “Virat has led us exceptionally well, not only with the captaincy but with his batting. The group knows where we haven’t performed, that’s what we need to rectify.”Rising Pune, on the other, had no problems with either fear of failure or expressing themselves, as they completed their fourth win in five games. While lauding his team’s “complete” performance, captain Steve Smith singled out pacer Lockie Ferguson for doing everything asked of him.Ferguson, playing only his second game, finished with figures of 2 for 7 in four overs, including the wicket of de Villiers. “That’s a magnificent effort, isn’t it?” Smith said. “Three overs of dot balls from Lockie, hit good lengths and bowled good bouncers as well. He is an exciting player for the future.”Smith, however, admitted Rising Pune didn’t get the runs they were looking for. “We didn’t know what was enough at the halfway point, to be fair. The wicket was a little bit slow and obviously Bangalore players have some quality plyers in their line-up. I thought we came out and bowled really well. We executed our plans really well tonight.”