Quietly steering clear of the turbulence and distractions surrounding the league, defending champion Royal Challengers Bengaluru became the first side to secure a playoff berth.

Despite the team’s impressive run, RCB Director of Cricket Mo Bobat dismissed suggestions that the franchise had somehow “cracked the code” of the tournament, sticking to the ‘taking-it-one-day-at-a-time’ cliche.

The Englishman, however, lavished praise on Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who returns to the venue he called home for 11 seasons.

“He knows this surface and ground well, so we’ve been picking his brains a little bit over the last few days just to understand things.

“And as always, he’s trying to help everyone around him. He has a calming influence on the whole team. We get huge value out of him,” he said.

Bobat also felt that Bhuvneshwar has unlocked another gear this season.

“Everybody knows his skills, he swings the ball both ways, he’s got incredible control and accuracy. I think he’s gone up a level this year even compared to last year. He’s a very calm and composed figure at the death, a bit like Josh Hazelwood and Rasikh Salam Dar have been.”

Sunrisers Hyderabad may have turned a corner with its bowling, but Bobat reiterated that they remain stronger with the willow.

“They’ve got a reputation, and rightly so, as a dangerous batting unit. I really enjoy the way they go about their batting, it kind of aligns with how I like teams to play, so it’s always fun watching them play. They’ve got some high-calibre players”.