<p><strong>Vettori determined to retain winning combination – Cricket News Update</strong></p>
<p>Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Daniel Vettori has ruled out the possibility of experimentation with the team’s line-up in upcoming games, saying they will be playing it safe and retaining the winning combination which has enabled them to claim the fifth
position on the Indian Premier League 5 tournament points table.</p>
<p>“We are fifth on the points table. If we win next four to five games we will qualify for semis,” Vettori pointed out. “So I don’t think there is a need for experimentation for games coming up. We would like to continue guys who have been doing a good job.”</p>
<p>The Challengers got off to a good start at the beginning of the current edition, claiming a 20-run victory over the Delhi Daredevils in their first match of the season on April 7. However, the early victory was followed by three consecutive defeats, against
the Kolkata nigh Riders, Chennai Super Kings, and Rajasthan Royals respectively.</p>
<p>However, the disappointments were followed up by three consecutive wins, and although their last match (against the Knight Riders) ended in a 47-run defeat, the team appears to be going strong, with Vettori in no mood to disrupt the current dynamics.</p>
<p>The Challengers’ players were unable to deliver consistently in the earlier stages of the tournament – Chris Gayle’s reputation preceded him, and he struggled to live up to it initially, before finally settling in as the tournament progressed, chipping in
with sizeable contributions such as 81, 87, and 86.</p>
<p>AB de Villiers was a similar story – after a stellar unbeaten 64 in the season opener against the Daredevils, he fell into a disappointing pattern, with contributions such as 10, 4, and 6. However, his recent stats show an upward turn, and scores such as
33, 52, and 59 augur well for the Challengers’ future games.</p>
<p>When asked to comment on why spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan had not been played too frequently, Vettori admitted that it was difficult to pick the “right balance amongst overseas players”, but the decision to field three overseas batsmen had served the
team well.</p>
<p>Vettori’s side have 7 more matches left before the semi-finals kick off, and the captain is confident that the current XI is the key which will enable them to qualify for the play-offs. The Challengers’ next clash is scheduled to take place against the Kings
XI Punjab today on May 2 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.</p>
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