Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Tim David on Sunday backed the defending champions to remain anchored to their core strengths despite back-to-back defeats, as they prepare to face Mumbai Indians in a crucial IPL 2026 encounter at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur. RCB, led by Rajat Patidar, won the toss and elected to bowl first, seeking to arrest a slide that has seen them slip from title contenders to fourth place after losses to Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants.

David's message on method

Speaking to broadcasters ahead of the toss, David acknowledged the need to analyse recent setbacks but stressed the primacy of backing the batting and bowling plans that had anchored RCB's early-season success. "You can obviously identify shortcomings from the games, but of course, you've got to back your strengths. That's what's put us in the position of playing so well so far this season," the Australian said, adding that the team would enter the contest with clarity rather than panic.

Raipur conditions and preparation

The finisher revealed that rain interruptions on the eve of the match had created uncertainty about ground conditions. "We had good preparation coming into this game. We hopped on a flight, and it rained all of yesterday. So a couple of unknowns going into today, but yeah, just try and be clear-minded and enjoy the game," David noted. He also spoke candidly about the Raipur venue's dimensions, joking that he had considered bringing a rangefinder to measure boundaries. "As I was walking out here, I thought I'd forgotten my golf range finder. I was going to try and give it a little zap," he quipped, before adding that the ground plays larger than typical IPL venues.

Boundary talk and hitting zones

David reflected on his experience at the Raipur ground, recalling that opposition batters had previously cleared the grandstand. He underscored the importance of timing and contact quality in such conditions. "If it comes out of the middle of the bat and you watch the ball closely, it's not an issue. If you start miss-hitting, then that's when it becomes an issue," he explained. On the dimensions at one end, he added with dry humour: "It looks bigger than that. But yeah, I mean, if you hit a six and it's under 70 metres, you'd be disappointed."

Playoff push and focus

Despite slipping to fourth, RCB remain well-placed in the race for the playoffs. David stressed that the experienced squad understands the tournament's demands and is concentrating on controllable factors rather than monitoring the standings. "I think we've got a very experienced playing group, and we understand what it takes to get to this stage of the tournament. And honestly, we're just focusing on ourselves. Well, we can control, and yeah, it's nice when you are at the top, but we want to regain that momentum, and we want to get stuck in," he said, signalling that a turnaround against Mumbai Indians is central to RCB's playoff hopes.