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    "title": "This will be the season for us: RCB skipper Kohli",
    "lang": "en",
    "series": "8",
    "cup_year": "2015",
    "article_type": "General",
    "excerpt": "Asserting that his team is the most balanced in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Royal Challengers Bangalore",
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    "editor1": "<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\"><span style=\"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\">Kolkata, April 10 (IANS) Asserting that his team is the most balanced in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper Virat Kohli warned ahead of their Saturday&#39;s encounter against Kolkata Knight Riders that the batting trio comprising Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers and himself would be more aggressive.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\"><span style=\"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\">&quot;This season you will see myself, AB and Gayle expressing more than ever because we have got good depth in batting and we can sort of bat freely,&quot; Kohli said on Friday on the eve of their opening encounter at the Eden Gardens here.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\"><span style=\"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\">&quot;In the last two-three seasons, we batted under more pressure as compared to others because, we were top heavy. Other teams had batters till eight so the top guys could express themselves but we had to mix caution and aggression.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\"><span style=\"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\">&quot;I won&#39;t say we will blindly swing the bat. But you will see the guys more relaxed and expressing themselves more and be confident in what they want to execute and not having as many second thoughts like they had in last two seasons.&quot;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\"><span style=\"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\">Admitting that his team has had mixed fortunes in the IPL despite having a star-studded line-up, the stylish batsman exuded confidence of laying hands on the coveted trophy.&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\"><span style=\"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\">&quot;We have played two finals and two semi-finals and failed to qualify in the rest. It has been a mixed kind of performance from us.&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\"><span style=\"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\">&quot;People have this disappointment and a strange feeling that why this team can&#39;t win. They have sort of anger inside them but in a good way, they want us to win.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\"><span style=\"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\">&quot;So I think this year we have a great opportunity to actually cross that line. This year, we have the most balanced side.&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\"><span style=\"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\">&quot;We have been lacking in quality Indian batsmen in the past but now we have four-five youngsters coming in strengthening our batting.&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\"><span style=\"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\">&quot;So the combinations are right but we have to play some good cricket and hopefully this will be the season for us,&quot; he said.&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\"><span style=\"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\">Kohli also allayed fears about fitness of the big hitting Gayle.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\"><span style=\"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\">&quot;He is probably the fittest i have seen over the last three years. It was pleasing to see him run around and be agile and active in practice.&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\"><span style=\"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\">&quot;Him being fit is always a boost for us and it is a thing to think about the opposition because he can field, bat and bowl. So it is a big positive for us.&quot;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n",
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    "seo_desc": "Asserting that his team is the most balanced in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Royal Challengers Bangalore",
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    "created": "2015-04-11 05:20:00",
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