Faf du Plessis the captain of Royal Challengers (RCB) showcased his brilliance with a breathtaking catch that sent Jonny Bairstow packing in Match 58 of IPL 2024 against Punjab Kings (PBKS). The enchanting Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium Dharamsala played host to this riveting encounter on Thursday May 9.
Chasing a huge 242 against RCB, the Punjab-based team lost Prabhsimran Singh (6) early. Nevertheless, Bairstow maintained his fine form and teamed up with Rilee Rossouw to propel PBKS in the powerplay overs. The pair gained momentum in the fourth over, scoring 18 runs off Mohammed Siraj, while Bairstow smashed a six and a four in the next over.
Jonny Bairstow had already hit two fours in Lockie Ferguson’s sixth over, so things looked promising for the home team. However, the sixth ball saw Ferguson’s slower delivery mistimed by Bairstow and holed out to Faf Du Plessis in the mid-off zone. The Protea batsman timed his jump correctly to make a spectacular catch going backward.
Here is the Faf du Plessis Spectacular Catch video:
Rilee Rossouw Shines with Fifty after Virat Kohli’s Dominant Display in PBKS vs RCB
Batting first, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru started off on a disappointing note, losing Faf du Plessis (9) and Will Jacks (12) early. Nevertheless, the duo of Virat Kohli (92 off 47) and Rajat Patidar (55 off 23) stunned the onlookers with their batting prowess.
Subsequently Cameron Green played a pivotal role by knocking an impressive 46 runs off just 27 balls setting the stage for RCB to achieve a formidable total of 241 runs. Harshal Patel shone as the standout bowler registering figures of 3/38 for the Punjab Kings.
At the time of writing, Karn Sharma had dismissed Rilee Rossouw for 61 off 27 runs. The southpaw’s innings featured seven fours and six maximums. The home team is 107/3 after nine overs.
It would be intriguing to see if the in-form Shashank Singh and the rest of the PBKS batting lineup can complete the chase.