RCB has the potential to handle tricky situations, reckons Mandeep Singh

It was yet again a losing start to the campaign for the Virat-led Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL-11. They succumbed to defeat against a much underrated and a young side in Kolkata Knight Riders by four wickets at Eden Gardens. Though, a game that eventually appeared as a one-sided affair saw the visitors gain many positives going ahead into the tournament.

In hindsight, RCB were very much in the game but it was that game-changing over from Nitish Rana which turned the tide in Kolkata’s favor. It was a gamble taken by Karthik that was spot on as Rana bagged the two ‘Big Fish’ in Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers on two successive deliveries to push the opposition on the backfoot.

The team has the ability to respond to such situations

The biggest positive for RCB from their opening encounter was the lower-order contribution from Mandeep Singh. He smashed an 18-ball 37 to post a respectable total for the team. But it was the surprise package in the form of Narine, who made it impossible for the opposition to bounce back as he struck a second fastest fifty of the season.

Asked about the surprises that the team had to handle in the first innings, Mandeep said, “We haven’t discussed on such surprises but once you are in the field you need to tackle those tricky situations.” In his view, the team has the much-needed arsenal to cop up with such tricky situations, “We obviously have the potential to handle such situations, “he told IANS.

Ready to bat at any position

The Punjab born cricketer looked much confident after a successful outing with the bat in the first game and is ready to bat at any position as per the team’s requirements. “I prefer opening the innings, but I am open to bat at any number. The position doesn’t matter much, what matters is my contribution to the team’s win at the end of the day,” he said.

The youngster is ecstatic to be a part of a star-studded lineup as the focus is to count on the season and present a strong case for his comeback into the national side. He shows no signs of worries in seeing Sarfraz Khan batting before him in the batting order. “Sarfraz has immense potential and is tailor-made for limited overs formats. I won’t be surprised if he bats in the top four, “he concluded.

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