Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s captain, Faf du Plessis, got out for 44 runs off 33 deliveries. This happened in the match against Rajasthan Royals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. He opened the batting. Trent Boult had dropped him just one over before. But then, Yuzvendra Chahal dismissed Du Plessis. This was Rajasthan Royals’ first breakthrough in the contest.
Du Plessis and Virat Kohli shared a massive first-wicket stand of 125 runs. The two had established a good foundation for the club, but they were unable to shift gears and increase the team’s run rate. The pair continued to rotate strike and search for boundaries, so the wickets in hand were irrelevant.
Faf du Plessis played second fiddle in the pairing, particularly on the powerplay. The captain attempted to take on the spinners, but Ashwin and Chahal took control of the game. He did hit a couple of sixes off Trent Boult’s third over to boost the score, but RCB failed to escalate and sustain the scoring.
The RCB captain’s on-and-off innings came to an end when his luck ran out and Jos Buttler made a simple catch.
Look at the dismissal right here:
Faf du Plessis’ journey this season began uncertainly. Though he shone briefly against CSK, he struggled thereafter to consistently amass runs.
Faf du Plessis’ Dismissal Derails RCB’s Momentum in IPL Encounter
Even when du Plessis was dismissed in the 14th over, RCB were at 125-1 and aiming for a spectacular finale with wickets in hand. However, things did not turn out as anticipated. Glenn Maxwell and debutant Saurav Chauhan did not fire, going out for one and nine, respectively.
Cameron Green was mostly at the non-striker’s end in the final overs when Kohli took over. The opening batsman went on to score his seventh IPL century, guiding RCB to a total of 183-3 after 20 overs.
“The wicket looks quite different from the outside. It feels like it’s flat, but the ball is holding up in the pitch, that’s when you realise the pace changes. One of us (Virat or Faf) had to bat till the end. I feel this total is effective on this pitch. I am not coming in with any premeditation. I knew I couldn’t got over aggressive, just that I had to keep the bowlers guessing. It’s just experience and maturity of playing the conditions.”