Royal Challengers Bangalore defeat vs Kolkata Knight Riders really hurt: Yuvraj Singh

Saturday could see a more determined Yuvraj Singh in action as Royal Challengers Bangalore play Rajasthan Royals at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Disappointed with himself after Thursday's two-run defeat against Kolkata Knight Riders, Yuvraj may just choose to make amends against the Shane Watson-led Royals. RCB are third in the table with two wins and a loss while RR are fifth with a win and two defeats.

 

Yuvraj has been in focus ever since he became the IPL's highest-paid star. On skipper Virat Kohli's insistence, RCB bought the Indian left-hander for a record 14 crores. The defeat against KKR has obviously been a massive disappointment for India's 2011 World cup-winning star. Yuvraj scored a 34-ball 31 with two fours and a six and by his lofty standards, could have scored at a faster rate.

"I am disappointed with myself as I should have stayed there till the end to finish the match," Yuvraj wrote in his newspaper column in the Times of India on Saturday. When Yuvraj perished, RCB needed nine runs off eight balls, but an out-of-the-world catch by KKR debutant Chris Lynn saw the back of the dangerous AB De Villiers with two balls left. KKR pulled off a thriller in a match largely dominated by RCB.

"Cricket can be a very cruel game. It's painful to be on the receiving end of this fact. The last game against Kolkata Knight Riders was really a tough one for us," Yuvraj wrote, adding: "In a span of 40 overs, we must have ticked all the boxes and just when it came to finishing things off, we couldn't cross the line."

Yuvraj can be emotional. He has won the trust of his RCB teammates and especially, Kohli. Yuvraj's mother has been supportive of her son too. Recently, she revealed that Yuvraj hates to bat under pressure. But IPL is going to be all about pressure and no one knows better than Yuvraj himself.