'Something I Am Adapting to, Hard to Get Going Coming Outside the Powerplay': RCB's Will Jacks on His Role at Number Three

Will Jacks scored a century in RCB’s previous game against GT. (BCCI)

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru are back home at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru where they take on Gujarat Titans for the second time in the ongoing season of the 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League. In their previous clash against GT, Will Jacks took the spotlight by smashing a scintillating century to win two games on the bounce and the franchise will look to the English international once again as they aim to go for the hat-trick with a chance for a spot in the playoffs hanging in the balance.

Speaking at the press conference ahead of the match, Will Jacks highlighted the talk within the camp which was to play with freedom rather than worry about their inferior net run-rate and add further pressure onto themselves.

“What we have spoken about as a batting unit, is playing with freedom. At the beginning of the competition, we were probably behind the other teams in terms of run rate and not getting the results we desired,” he said.

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“We spoke long and hard about how to get to those 200-plus scores that we have seen across the competition. And we have been doing that well, taking risks at the right time and putting bowlers under pressure. I wouldn’t say it adds more pressure. We just know what we have to do and we are keeping it simple and that’s what has been working for us recently,” he added.

Looking back at the season as a whole, the England international regrets that they were not able to click as a unit earlier in the season but still maintains hope that something can be achieved in their current improbable scenario.

“We are moving along in the right direction. It is a shame it didn’t happen a few games earlier but there is still a chance for us. We have four games left. We are going to try and give our best, one by one,” said Jacks.

The right-hander also talked about his role with RCB at the number three spot in the batting order. He reckons that coming outside the powerplay is not the easiest thing for him and highlighted that he has to take some time to get side when coming out to bat rather than go after the bowler in hopes of some easy boundaries.

“It is something that I am adapting to. I started doing it in November in the Caribbean for England, so I have probably done it in ten or a few more times. It is different. The hardest thing I found was coming in outside the powerplay. Normally when you face the first ball, you get a few to look at, and you can get your easy boundaries away and get yourself rolling whereas outside the powerplay, you have to play yourself in and it is harder to be 17 or 18 off ten balls,” he added.

The Gujarat Titans on the other hand will look to get back to winning ways and possibly make a run for a spot for the top-four. But RCB seems to have found their groove and have been on a two-match winning streak so far with both batting and bowling units going in good stead.