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Ellyse Perry hailed the immense sense of calmness in the Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) dressing room and team-mates enjoying each other's company as the team moves into the Women's Premier League (WPL) playoffs with some fine performances in the tournament.
The all-rounder, who conjured a record six-wicket haul in the last match against defending champions Mumbai Indians, also credited the RCB support staff and management for providing confidence and clarity to the group, as well as their painstaking attention to the players' needs. "I just think overwhelmingly there's a really strong sense of calmness and people enjoying themselves. (Coach) Luke Williams has brought a lot to the group from that perspective. I think he's been really clear from the start, along with the other coaches, just to give us all the confidence and the clarity that our best cricket will be competitive enough in this competition," commented Perry during the press conference on Wednesday after her Player-of-the-Match performance. She added, "From that perspective and having that knowledge as a group, we've just really enjoyed each other's company in the dressing room and certainly on the field, there's been lots of smiles. That's been a huge focus to just go out there and enjoy it because, yeah, it's a pretty special tournament.... We all really understand one another's roles. We've got to know each other better on and off the field... I think it's just being calm and enjoying every opportunity we get as a team." Perry revealed that the team had stuck together following some tough matches and trained hard for a better performance. The all-rounder also stated that in all her years in the game, RCB stood out for her in terms of the level of care accorded to the players, especially by RCB 12th Man Army and that had reflected in her performance on the field. "Distinctively a big difference is probably how big this amazing franchise is. And that was really evident from the first day that I joined RCB last year. There is just such an amazing level of support and fandom for the team in general. What the franchise does as an organisation, I've never been in a place with so much care and attention to their team and wanting to provide absolutely everything possible to make sure that we play well but also have a really great time," Perry said. She added, "We build team rooms at the hotel that we're staying at so that everyone can hang out and play table tennis or basketball or just sit down and chill together. At the same time, they'll build us a gym so that you can go and prepare the best you can to make sure that you're in the best physical condition." "That sense of care and support is amazing and that extends right through the organisation. But then also with the fans that we have as well, regardless of whether we win or lose, they're just there every day to support us. And that's really stood out for me, I guess, just to add. Yeah, I'm sure it does make a difference," Perry concluded. RCB will now play their playoff match of the WPL 2024 on Friday. (ANI)
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