Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis are the top players in IPL. As part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore team, they’re consistently strong batters in the T20 league.
While Kohli has been playing with RCB since the beginning of the IPL in 2008, Du Plessis has represented a number of teams and enjoyed considerable success.
Both Kohli and Du Plessis have been productive for RCB while beginning the innings in the present IPL 2023 season. Bangalore captain Du Plessis currently holds the Orange Cap in the IPL 2023, having scored 511 runs in 10 matches at an average of 56.78 and a strike rate of 157.71, with five half-centuries.
Meanwhile, Kohli is currently fourth on the list of top run scorers this season. He scored 419 runs at a 46.56 average and a strike rate of 135.16, with six half-centuries.
It may appear strange that some of their partnerships have contributed to RCB’s defeats. However, it is a cruel reality since in the T20 format, the rate of scoring is as important as the number of runs scored.
The article analyses three moments from the IPL 2023 in which Kohli and Faf du Plessis’ sluggish partnership contributed to the team’s downfall.
1) Match 15 vs LSG
Kohli and Du Plessis added 96 runs for the first wicket in match 15 of the Indian Premier League 2023 at Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The pair scored 96 runs in 11.3 overs. The acceleration came in the second half, after both players had been slowed on the powerplay.
Batting first, RCB scored only 42 runs in the first five overs, with Kohli scoring 30 off 21 balls and Du Plessis scoring 10 from nine. The partnership ended when the former was caught off the bowling of Amit Mishra for 61 off 44 balls.
Bangalore’s captain continued to struggle, and after 14 overs, he was batting on 33 off 31. He wonderfully improved his strike rate and ended up scoring 79* off 46 balls as RCB finished on 212/2.
At the inning break of the game, it appeared like RCB had had enough. However, Marcus Stoinis (65 off 30 balls) and Nicholas Pooran (62 off 19 balls) showed that the score was insufficient as LSG won by one wicket off the final ball.
2) Match 50 vs DC
Kohli and Du Plessis got RCB off to a fantastic start in match 50 of the IPL 2023, which took place at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. They added 82 runs in 10.3 overs.
The duo needed to bat much faster, since Bangalore only put 181/4 on the board, thanks to Mahipal Lomror’s blistering 54* off 29 balls.
When analysing the opening pair’s efforts, Du Plessis took 32 balls for his 45, hitting five fours and a six, an acceptable pace of scoring. Kohli, on the other hand played a slow inning, He ended up scoring 55 runs off 46 balls, hitting only five fours and no sixes.RCB’s conservative start lost them at least 20-30 valuable runs.
With seven wickets in hand, Delhi Capitals chased down 182 in 16.4 overs. Phil Salt, who assaulted 87 in 45 balls with a strike rate of 193.33, led the overall effort.
The bludgeoning knock, which included eight fours and six sixes, absolutely surpassed RCB’s batting effort.
3) Match 9 vs KKR
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) were poised to chase a huge 205 against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in game nine of the IPL 2023.
The opening pair of Kohli and Du Plessis combined for 44 runs for the first wicket, although it only took 4.5 overs. Kohli struggled to get going, scoring only 21 points in 18 balls. Sunil Narine bowled him in an innings that had three fours and a strike rate of 116.67.
Du Plessis played much more aggressively, hitting two fours and two sixes. But he couldn’t go on and was bowled off for 23 off 12 balls by Varun Chakaravarthy.
Following the departure of the openers, the rest of the RCB innings collapsed. Bangalore were bowled out for 123 in 17.4 overs as Chakaravarthy (4/15) and Suyash Sharma (3/30) weaved a web around the RCB batting line-up.
