Rajasthan Royals have winning momentum, says Rahane

Opener Ajinkya Rahane is confident that Rajasthan Royals have the upperhand going into the Champions League Twenty20 match against Highveld Lions here tomorrow. Rahane said Royals would look to capitalise on the momentum achieved during their victory over IPL champions Mumbai Indians, ahead of their Group A clash at the Sawai Man Singh stadium.

"The focus is on building our game plan and strategy. I feel the momentum is with us," said Rahane, who had played an instrumental role in Royals' seven-wicket win over Mumbai in their tournament opener. The diminutive opener said his team was not concerned about the other matches of the group which were washed out in Ahmadabad last evening.

"We are not looking at those matches because such things are not in our control. It had rained before the Mumbai Indians match here too but we won it," he said. Asked about the decision to send Shane Watson down the batting order during their match against Mumbai, Rahane said, "Such things are decided by the think tank - Paddy Upton and Rahul Dravid. It's not for the individuals but the cause of the team. We had chased big totals like against Chennai earlier with this strategy. We need flexibility in accord with the situation and team comes first."

Rahane welcomed the three-day break prior to their next game.

"It has been a good three-day break for us because T20 involves high intensity games. It's especially good for the pacers who have to work hard. The Lions are capable of throwing a good challenge because they have bowlers like Sohail Tanvir, Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Imran Tahir who are capable of making early inroads in the opposition line-up," he said.