Royal Challengers Bengaluru have dragged themselves back into the Indian Premier League (IPL) playoff race after their early season struggles and skipper Faf du Plessis believes a bolder approach in recent matches had sparked their revival.

After losing seven of their first eight matches, RCB embarked on a superb five-match winning spree, with Sunday’s 47-run win over Delhi Capitals lifting them to fifth in the table with 12 points, above Delhi and Lucknow on net run rate, Reuters reported.

Needing a win to keep their top-four hopes alive, RCB shrugged off the early dismissals of Du Plessis and top-scorer Virat Kohli as Will Jacks made a 29-ball 41 and Rajat Patidar smashed a 32-ball 52 to help them post 187-9.

Their bowlers ripped through Delhi to dismiss them for 140 in 19.1 overs, with pacer Yash Dayal claiming three wickets.

“We want to play that style of cricket – RCB talks about playing bold,” Du Plessis said. “Just proud that we can actually do that now, putting our performance together.

“It’s just confidence, isn’t it?. First half of the season, we were really fighting for it, didn’t quite come together for us. You just need a couple of guys to find their form in the tournament and it’s happened.”

Victory over Delhi marked the third straight match that RCB had bowled a team out and they have posted totals of 200 or more in five of their last seven games.

“There’s been a positive change. Even when we were losing, nobody was pointing fingers at anyone,” Dayal said.

“We’ve been positive throughout the season and we’ve become more attacking. We’ve switched that mode on.”

Meanwhile, Yash Dayal who took three wickets against Delhi Capitals, also felt that the strong sense of team unity is a key factor for their team’s dramatic turnaround.

“There has been a positive change. Even when we were losing, no one was pointing anyone’s name out. This supportive atmosphere, coupled with a newfound aggressive approach, seems to be the winning formula for RCB,” Dayal said.

“There has been a positive change. Even when we were losing, no one was pointing anyone out, so it’s a big positive point. And all through the season, we were positive. And now we have become more attacking.”

RCB face third-placed Chennai Super Kings in what could be a virtual quarterfinal between the two teams on Saturday.

Spinner Varun Chakravarthy returned bowling figures of 2-17 as Kolkata Knight Riders booked their play-off spot with an 18-run win over Mumbai Indians in a rain-reduced IPL match.

Two-time champions Kolkata posted 157-7 as Venkatesh Iyer top-scored with 42 off 21 balls after being invited to bat first at their home Eden Gardens in a 16-overs-a-side match, AFP reported.

Bowlers combined to defend the total after Mumbai raced to 65-0 and Chakravarthy, a mystery spinner, got the big wickets of Rohit Sharma, who made 19 after coming in as impact substitute, and skipper Hardik Pandya, who was caught out for two.

Five-time winners Mumbai, who are already out of the play-off race, finished on 139-8 as Tilak Varma hit a 17-ball 32 before he fell to fast bowler Harshit Rana, who took two wickets in the last over.

Pace bowler Andre Russell also took two wickets, including that of Suryakumar Yadav, as table-toppers Kolkata got their ninth win in 12 matches to become the first team to book a play-off berth.

The top four teams will make the play-offs with the final on May 26 in Chennai.

Kolkata lost openers Phil Salt, out for six, and Sunil Narine, bowled for a duck off Jasprit Bumrah, in the first two overs and skipper Shreyas Iyer soon fell for seven.

But Venkatesh, a left-hand batsman, made Kolkata hit back with six fours and two sixes and he set the pace that was picked up by Nitish Rana and Russell in a key stand of 39.

Rana, a left-hand batter, hit 33 and Russell smashed 24 off 14 before Rinku Singh, who hit 20, and Ramandeep Singh, unbeaten 17, helped Kolkata finish on a high, AFP reported.

Bumrah and veteran leg-spinner Piyush Chawla took two wickets each.

Sorkh Poshan Khafi defeated Aino Mina 1-0 in the 41st match of Afghanistan Champions League (ACL) in Kabul on Friday.

In the 42nd match later in the day, Sarsabz Yashlar beat Khurasan Faryab 2-0.

The only goal in Sorkh Poshan Khafi’s match against Aino Mina was scored by Habibullah Hotak who netted the ball with a header.

Temor Shah Raoufi and Mustafa Rezaie scored for Sarsabz Yashlar in their 2-0 victory against Khurasan Fayrab.

Saturday’s matches will see Abu Muslim Farah take on Jawanan Wahedi at 1pm, while Adalat Farah play Khadim at 3:30pm.

The matches are broadcast live on Ariana Television.