Bangalore, April 27: Rajasthan Royals were dubbed as the weakest of the eight-team IPL and it must have stung captain-cum-coach Shane Warne. But as in his illustrious career, he took it upon himself to show to the world that he means business.

A thumping nine-wicket victory over Bangalore Royal Challengers, their third straight win in four encounters, has transformed the Royals’ side into potential contenders for the tournament. The aberration of losing to Delhi Daredevils has been forgotten as Royals seem to have found a winning formula and Warne was fulsome in his praise of the youngsters in his squad.

"After a first taste of defeat against Daredevils, the boys have made a good comeback in the last three games," said Warne, after his side coolly dismantled the Challengers on Saturday night.

"I’ve told my boys to enjoy the game rather than stick to a strategy and I’m very happy with this setup," said the legendary Aussie leg-spinner.

The 38-year-old said it was tough to stick to a plan in the shortest format of the game. "During the slog overs, you have to mix up deliveries and try variations to keep the batsmen guessing," said the Royals’ skipper, who has been an inspirational figure for the youngsters.

"Winning away matches against the best sides in the tournament boosts the team’s confidence and is a good sign of improvement," said the former Hampshire player.

"From each game, players will learn a lot from their mistakes and it’s a learning experience," said the skipper, who bowled a brilliant four-over spell claiming 1/23.

Warne, the second highest wicket-taker in Test history, said that Test matches were the ultimate challenge for any cricketer. "Even today I can say that Test cricket is the ultimate challenge. The fitness levels, commitment, temperament and the patience to bat for hours brings out the best in a player."

Man of the match, Shane Watson also paid rich compliments to his captain. "Shane is leading from the front and he is doing a great job as the coach and captain," said Watson.