They landed on 22nd of August, quarantined for a week, and then hit the nets. A gradual increase in intensity for the next few weeks saw Royal Challengers Bangalore gel up as a unit before they decided to take on each other to gauge the extent of their preparations ahead of Dream 11 IPL. Here are the seven learnings from RCB’s intra-squad practice match at Sevens stadium!

Don’t be fooled by the greenery, the conditions in UAE are scorching. The after-noon matches will be akin to being in a furnace. However, the conditions do get better once the sun sets.

Friends only when not competing: the intensity which the RCB players showed while competing against each other was fierce confirming the belief that the game mode is on.

AB de Villiers is beyond conditions; he can bat anywhere and on any surface with unmatchable skills. The way he batted, we forgot that the man has been retired from international cricket for a while.

Watch out for Shahbaz Ahmed and Washington Sundar, the youngsters may light up Dream 11 IPL. They can bat and bowl - both with great precision. You never know, these two might just be the difference between sides on a competitive day.

Yuzi Chahal is a master tactician: common wisdom would have had AB de Villiers leading one of the two teams – the other being led by Kohli – but the coaches decided to go with Yuzvendra Chahal because he has such a fine understanding of the game and the maestro proved that his moves are as well thought and smart as the ones in chess.

Virat Kohli is back at it again, the silken drives and the thundering pulls are ready to take the desert by storm. RCB bowlers would attest that after weeks of training in the UAE, the captain has got the rhythm he wanted.

The mood in the camp is ecstatic and the players cannot wait to get on to the field. While the competition is going to be fierce in the heat of the UAE, the events at Sevens Stadium confirmed the belief many experts have had over the past few weeks – RCB is one of the most complete sides of this season!