Faf du Plessis, the South African batsman and current captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), has been in spectacular form in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season. With 511 runs in 10 games, he currently holds the Orange Cap, awarded to the leading run-scorer in the tournament. What is most impressive, however, is his strike rate of 157.72, which is significantly higher than his career IPL strike rate of 133.58 in 126 games.
Du Plessis attributes his success to a change in approach, focusing on playing with a higher strike rate from the beginning of the tournament. He has been able to switch gears effectively, accelerating the scoring rate when required and playing big innings for RCB.
While du Plessis has been the standout performer for RCB this season, there have been criticisms of his opening partner, Virat Kohli’s approach in the middle overs. However, du Plessis is satisfied with his own game and believes that his aggressive approach has helped the team.
In a recent chat with ‘RCB Bold Diaries’, du Plessis spoke about his focus on playing with a higher strike rate. “I think the change of approach has helped me a lot,” he said. “I wanted to try and be more aggressive from ball one and play my natural game.”
Du Plessis has been able to maintain a high strike rate without compromising on his technique. He has played some beautiful shots, both in the powerplay and later in the innings. His ability to find the gaps and hit boundaries has been a major asset for RCB.
“I think it’s just a mindset thing,” he said. “I’ve been working on my game for a long time, and I’ve been able to implement it well in this tournament. I’m very happy with the way things are going.”
Du Plessis also spoke about his desire to play big innings for RCB. While he has scored five half-centuries this season, he is yet to convert any of them into a hundred. He is determined to change that and help RCB win their first IPL title.
“I want to score big runs for the team,” he said. “I want to contribute as much as I can and help the team win. It’s a team game, and I want to do my part.”
RCB currently sits at the top of the IPL 2023 table, having won eight of their 10 matches. With du Plessis in fine form and the rest of the team firing on all cylinders, they will be a strong contender for the title this year.
