IPL 2018: RCB coach Daniel Vettori confident his bowlers will stop MS Dhoni & Co

With the likes of MS Dhoni in the Chennai Super Kings batting line-up, Royal Challengers Bangalore bowlers have their task cut out. To add to the challenge, the pitch for Saturday’s IPL 2018 game is expected to be a belter.

However, RCB coach Daniel Vettori expressed confidence in his men and said it will be about adjusting to the conditions.

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“Any time a batting group gets a chance to bat on a good wicket, they are excited. I don’t think there are too many challenges on that front. It’s about the conditions: the wind, the daytime game and bowlers coming to a new venue. We are playing here for the first time in a long while so it’s an important training session for us today to get acclimatised,” Vettori, who will go up against his New Zealand counterpart Stephen Fleming, the CSK coach, said on Friday.

Not much clicked for RCB when the two teams last met. It became a battle between two sets of batsmen with CSK chasing down a target of 205. However, the RCB coach is banking on the confidence gained by his bowlers from their performance in the last game when they successfully defended a modest total against Mumbai Indians.

“We are really satisfied with the way we bowled in the last game. We got our combination right. Southee has been exceptional, (Mohammed) Siraj has been improving and Chahal and Umesh are tight as ever. We are confident of this group. We also know how good a team CSK is. Batting may play an important part given how good the surface is here, but ultimately execution with the ball will be the defining factor,” said Vettori.

With just six points from eight games, RCB are in a desperate situation. They have got a massive boost with star batsman AB de Villiers available after being unwell. The South Africa batsman will replace compatriot Quinton de Kock in the line-up.

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“AB is back fit. Quinton is away from this game. He has returned home for a wedding. He’s unavailable for this match.”

Finishing has been a concern for RCB but they are banking on Mandeep Singh and Colin de Grandhomme to do the job.

“I think Colin did a great job in the last game. I think the 20-odd runs he scored was why we won. Really satisfied with how Colin has come into the team. Mandeep has been consistent. Finishing plays a part when you don’t do well at the top. We have done well at the top with the experienced four batsmen generally batting well.”