"It was pretty challenging with the new ball, it moved around a bit. But we got through the first six without much damage. It felt like Test cricket in that first session. More bounce really. Still we felt 180 was par.
"I am really proud otherwise. It has been a great season for RCB. My first season to see how special the crowds have been for us. Harshal [Patel], DK [Dinesh Karthik], all the guys who are picked for India deserve it. I stand proud of the team even though we were not at our best tonight and against a very strong Rajasthan Royals side,", he added.
Seeing the brighter side of things, the skipper expressed optimism about the future and lauded the domestic talent in the marquee league. "There is some really nice young talent in our squad, and you have a three-year plan. That's what you look to maximise. You can see how good Rajat [Patidar] has been after he came in. A great future of Indian cricket. You can always pick three Indian teams after the IPL with the amount of young talent coming through."
"Our fans have been the most obvious thing. You go to any game anywhere and you have RCB-RCB chanted. The guys were emotional when we heard the RCB chants even when playing Mumbai. So, well done to our fans and thank you very much," du Plessis said, expressing gratitude to the franchise's ardent fanbase