It’s a must-win game for the Royal Challengers Bangalore against the Gujarat Titans on Thursday if they want to make the playoffs and our man to watch for this high-stakes encounter is the RCB captain Faf du Plessis.
With Virat Kohli struggling with the bat for RCB this season, there is a lot of weight on the shoulders of Faf du Plessis to carry the batting load at the top of the order. Although the South African is RCB’s top run-scorer this season with 399 runs in 13 matches, his numbers have regressed compared to his last campaign with CSK, with his average dropping by nearly 12 runs per wicket.
YEAR | RUNS | AVERAGE | STRIKE RATE | DOT % |
2021 | 634 | 45.3 | 138.4 | 33.2 |
2022 | 399 | 33.2 | 132.6 | 39.5 |
Faf du Plessis’ IPL record
Against the Gujarat Titans, du Plessis will come up against the best powerplay bowler in the tournament – Mohammed Shami – who has picked up a league-high 11-wickets in the first six overs this season at an economy of 5.97. Fortunately for RCB, Du Plessis has an excellent record against Shami in the IPL, with the South African striking at 170 at an average of 41 against the Titans pacer in the competition.
For RCB to beat the table-toppers on Thursday and stand a chance of qualifying for the final four, Du Plessis will have to continue his fine form against Shami to give the team a good start and ensure that their brittle middle-order isn’t exposed against the likes of Rashid Khan, R Sai Kishore and Lockie Ferguson.
[Featured Image Credit: IPL – Indian Premier League]
Shivaan Shah