3 times Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis' slow partnership led to RCB's defeat in IPL 2023
Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis are two of the biggest names in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) pair have been among the most consistent batters in the T20 league.
While Kohli has played for RCB since the start of the IPL in 2008, Du Plessis has represented multiple franchises over the years and has tasted plenty of success.
In the ongoing IPL 2023 season, both Kohli and Du Plessis have been prolific for RCB while opening the innings. Bangalore captain Du Plessis is the current Orange Cap holder in IPL 2023, having smashed 511 runs in 10 matches at an average of 56.78 and a strike rate of 157.71, with five half-centuries.
Kohli, meanwhile, presently stands fourth on the list of highest run-getters this season. He 419 runs at an average of 46.56 and a strike rate of 135.16, with six half-centuries.
It might sound ironic to say that a few of their stands have played a role in RCB’s defeats. But it’s a harsh truth since the rate of scoring matters as much as the number of runs scored in the T20 format.
In this feature, we look at three instances from IPL 2023 when Kohli and Faf du Plessis’ slow partnership had a hand in the team’s defeat.
#3 Match 9 vs KKR
In game number nine of IPL 2023, Royal Challengers Bangalore were set to chase a mammoth 205 against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
The opening duo of Kohli and Du Plessis added 44 for the first wicket but it came in 4.5 overs. Kohli struggled to get going and scored only 21 in 18 balls. He was bowled by Sunil Narine in an innings which featured three fours and came at a strike rate of 116.67.
Du Plessis was a lot more aggressive, hitting two fours and as many sixes. But he also could not carry on and was cleaned up by Varun Chakaravarthy for 23 off 12 balls.
The rest of the RCB innings crumbled after the departure of the openers. In the end, Bangalore were bundled out for a disappointing 123 in 17.4 overs as Chakaravarthy (4/15) and Suyash Sharma (3/30) spun a web around RCB’s batting line-up.
#2 Match 50 vs DC
In match number 50 of IPL 2023, played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, Kohli and Du Plessis again got RCB off to a good start. They added 82, but the partnership came off 10.3 overs, a little over half the innings.
The duo needed to bat a lot more swiftly as Bangalore eventually only managed 181/4 on the board, that too, courtesy of Mahipal Lomror’s blazing 54* of 29 balls.
Analyzing the performances of the opening pair, Du Plessis took 32 balls for his 45, hitting five fours and a six, an acceptable rate of scoring. However, Kohli was quite slow in his effort. He ended up scoring 55 off 46 balls, striking only five fours and not a single six. In hindsight, RCB’s somewhat cautious start cost them at least 20-30 precious runs.
Chasing 182, Delhi Capitals got home in 16.4 overs, with seven wickets in hand. The comprehensive effort was led by Phil Salt, who gave a demonstration of how a T20 innings should be paced, clobbering 87 in 45 balls at a strike rate of 193.33.
The bludgeoning knock included eight fours and six sixes, completely overshadowing RCB’s batting effort.
#1 Match 15 vs LSG
Kohli and Du Plessis combined to add 96 runs for the opening wicket in match number 15 of the Indian Premier League 2023 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
The duo ended up adding 96 in 11.3 overs. However, the acceleration came in the second half as both players were rather subdued in the powerplay.
Batting first, RCB managed only 42 runs in the first five overs, with Kohli batting on 30 off 21 and Du Plessis managing only 10 off nine. The partnership ended when the former was caught off Amit Mishra’s bowling for 61 off 44 balls.
Bangalore skipper continued to struggle and was batting on 33 off 31 after 14 overs. He lifted his strike rate brilliantly and ended up scoring 79* off 46 balls as RCB finished on 212/2.
At the halfway stage of the game, it seemed RCB had enough. However, Marcus Stoinis (65 off 30) and Nicholas Pooran (62 off 19) proved that the total was inadequate as LSG got home by one wicket off the last ball.