With 13 points from 11 matches, the Royal Challengers Bangalore are in the reckoning for a place in the Playoffs. The Virat Kohli-led team have been on a winning streak after a shaky start to the Pepsi Indian Premier League 2015. As they look to break into the top four, RCB will face-off against the Kings XI Punjab in Mohali on May 13th. Speaking to the media ahead of the match, the young RCB batman Mandeep Singh said, “We have done well in the last six-seven matches. We are taking one match at a time without thinking too far ahead.” Reflecting on the team’s run so far, he said, “There was a problem with the coordination and combinations were not up to the mark (early on). Now the combinations have been set right. After playing four-five matches, we got to know of the right combinations. We know who will open, who will play in the middle-order, etc.” Elaborating on space that the team finds itself in, he said, “The team's morale has been high for the last five-six matches. We lost one game against the Chennai Super Kings. In that match we had a few run outs. (However, now) everybody is in positive frame of mind.” “The arrival of Mitchell Starc made a huge difference to the side. The team has gained a lot of confidence due to the presence of Mitchell Starc. He is bowling at his best,” he added. While the bowling line-up were boosted by the arrival of the Australia fast-bowler, RCB have been riding high on the performances of their top-order. Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers have been crucial to the team’s victories. “They are the best in the world in this format. Their experience definitely helps. If one of them clicks, then the opposition nearly always end up on the losing side. It is good that our best players are playing the maximum number of balls,” Mandeep said. The 23-year old himself played a key role with the bat in one of the earlier matches. Mandeep, who starred in the team’s win against Kolkata Knight Riders, said he has been learning from the international players in the side, especially from AB de Villiers. “I had tried to follow AB (de Villiers) but got bowled in the first match. Then I asked him about his batting and he explained to me about his approach. Not that he always goes for the unconventional shots. For example in the last match, when he came up the order he played more cricketing shots. He improvises after playing 10-12 overs. As a youngster I get to learn that if you give yourself more time then you can hit the unconventional shots nicely as well. You just can’t go in and start hitting. I am speaking a lot to him and gathering a lot of knowledge. He is a big inspiration for me and I learn a lot from him.” “If you practice then you can learn to play the shots he is playing. Glenn Maxwell also plays shots like reverse sweep or switch-hit. de Villiers has his own style,” he elaborated. “He says the priority should be to play good cricketing shots. By doing this you will get to know how to play those (unconventional) shots. So, there is no need to give too much focus on these shots,” he explained about the lessons he had received from the stroke-maker. Elaborating on his role in the batting lineup, he said, “It depends on where you bat. If you come towards the end, then you have to become innovative because bowlers normally bowl yorkers and try slower ones. But all the successful batsmen like Shaun Marsh or Ajinkya Rahane or when Sachin Tendulkar was playing, they all play cricketing shots. Yesterday, AB did not play any (unconventional) shots till the 15th over before trying those out after that.” “You have to be mentally tough. It boils to handling pressure. In that situation, one should not have any doubt such as whether I can hit this or not. Even Virat advises, 'Don’t doubt yourself’. If you have committed yourself to a shot, then you should be confident that you can play it well. A little bit of doubt can put you in problem. If I can play the same shot for Punjab, then I can play the same shot in IPL,” said the middle-order bat who has been keenly learning from the opportunities that the tournament has afforded him. “There is a little bit of pressure. When we were not doing well, we decided that we will not think about qualifying or winning the title. We discuss each opponent and we have decided to take one opponent at a time, work on them and play the match. We are not thinking too much about other teams. We are focusing on winning tomorrow's game,” Mandeep stated.