Despite nursing a rib injury, RCB skipper Faf du Plessis played a remarkable knock to lead his team to a 24-run victory over Punjab Kings on Thursday. Playing as an “Impact Player” due to his injury, du Plessis scored 84 runs off just 56 balls and shared a 137-run opening wicket partnership with stand-in captain Virat Kohli, who contributed 59 off 47 balls. The partnership helped RCB reach a total of 174 for four after being put into bat.
Talking about his performance, du Plessis revealed that despite his injury, he wanted to play and contribute to the team’s success. “With the injury, you think about the balance – should you erase this game and try and be fit for the next was the discussion but I wanted to try and play,” he said. He also emphasized the importance of putting runs on the scoreboard, especially on a slow surface.
Du Plessis also spoke highly of his partnership with Kohli, saying that it is working well for the team. “It’s great to have another 100-run partnership with Virat. I think that’s a huge plus point for us that our partnership is working well,” he said.
Meanwhile, RCB Director Mike Hesson revealed that including du Plessis in the playing, XI was a tough decision, given his injury. “We were assessing if he were to play and cause further damage to the injury, what’d be the consequences. It wasn’t an easy decision,” he said. Hesson also praised the partnership between du Plessis and Kohli, saying that their ability to absorb early pressure and apply it to Punjab was crucial to the team’s success on a difficult wicket.
Du Plessis’ impressive knock and partnership with Kohli helped RCB secure their third win in four matches and move up to third place in the IPL standings.
