Royal Challengers
Bangalore (RCB) skipper Virat Kohli said qualifying for the IPL 2021 playoffs was
“a great position to be in”, adding that eight wins out of 12 games “is a great
campaign”. The Bangalore outfit beat the Punjab Kings (PBKS) by six runs on Sunday
to become the third team to qualify for the playoffs.  

“I don’t think
after 2011, we haven’t done it with games to spare, but it’s a great position
to be in. Eight wins out of 12 games is a great campaign for the team,” Kohli
said in the post-match comments.

The Indian
captain said that the team has “added motivation to play even more fearlessly” as
they have two games to try and finish in the top two spots. The top two sides
get two chances to make the final, as the loser of Qualifier 1 gets to play the
winner of the Eliminator match for final berth in the showpiece encounter.

Also Read | ‘Worst piece of 3rd umpiring’: Cricketers livid after Tripathi’s catch denied

Meanwhile, Kohli also
lauded the effort put in by his bowling unit, underscoring the performances of Harshal
Patel and Mohammed Siraj in particular.

“An IPL campaign
is as good as the team plays the way they do. If the players don’t step up, the
campaign can move away quickly. This year the guys have taken the ownership and
responsibility,” Kohli said.

Meanwhile, Punjab
captain KL Rahul said he would “anyday” swap the Orange Cap for a win. “It’s been
on my head for a while in the last couple of years, but I would have enjoyed it
a lot more if we had got the points and qualified,” Rahul said.

The 29-year-old also
said his side’s batting unit has let them down, saying he has to adjust his game
in order to bat longer through the innings. “I play a role that the team
demands, I don’t enjoy it, but this is a team game and that’s what the team
expects from you, you’ll have to do it.”

The loss leaves
Punjab with just 10 points from 13 games and nearly out of contention for the
playoffs.