Rajasthan Royals are here to stay: Warne

Ahmedabad:

Back in the top half of the points table after three consecutive wins, Rajasthan Royals captain Shane Warne on Friday said his side is a force to reckon with in the ongoing third edition of the Indian Premier League.

Riding on Yusuf Pathan's 34-ball unbeaten 73 and Michael Lumb's 45 off 32 deliveries, Rajasthan Royals on Friday thrashed Deccan Chargers by eight wickets to move up to the third position in the points table after the initial hiccup.

And Warne, who guided the Royals to the title in the inaugural IPL in 2008, said at home his side is invincible.

"It's about executing the plans. It was an emphatic win tonight. We are here to stay. We have appointed Yusuf Pathan and Munaf Patel as the senior men in the team. And it has to come from within. I am very proud of the guys. The run-outs and fielding of (Abhishek) Jhunjhunwala and others were brilliant," the former Australian leg-spinner said.

"We have lost only game in two IPLs at home and we want the opposition to feel uncomfortable when they come here. It's our fortress," he said.

His counterpart Adam Gilchrist said Rajasthan was undoubtedly the better side on display as they completely dominated his team on Friday.

"We were pumped today! We were quiet soft today and allowed them to dominate and to their credit they dominated. They played really really well," he said.

"We have to move on. The batting didn't set up enough runs for the bowlers today. We have been going on well till tonight," Gilchrist added.