"Ee Sala Cup Namde" - Faf du Plessis greeted with an 'after dinner surprise' in Doha
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Faf du Plessis was surprised by the staff at a restaurant in Doha, Qatar, with decorative plating which was inscribed with the franchise's catchphrase - Ee Sala Cup Namde.
The veteran batter posted an image of the same on his Twitter account on Friday, September 1.
Hotel staff and other members making such arrangements are a common sight in the social media era. Du Plessis has been part of the RCB setup for a couple of years as their captain and has been an instant hit with the ardent fan base.
He has scored 1198 runs for RCB in the last two seasons. The right-handed batter has also forged an excellent chemistry with Virat Kohli at the top of the order.
Du Plessis led RCB to a third-place finish in the 2022 season while the franchise finished sixth in the 2023 edition, missing out on the playoffs for the first time in three years. However, he had an exceptional campaign with the bat and held the Orange Cap for the majority of the season, but ultimately lost out to Shubman Gill.
Du Plessis had to leave the 2023 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) midway due to an elbow injury. He has successfully undergone surgery at the Aspetar Hospital in Doha under the guidance of Dr. Elisabet Hagert, who specializes in hand, wrist, elbow, and nerve injury cases.
He had posted an update on his social media account following his surgery as well, which took place a few days ago.
Faf du Plessis aiming to be the first RCB captain to lift the IPL title
Despite being one of the most popular franchises in the competition's history, RCB are yet to win the title. They have made it to the finals across three editions, but have gone on to lose each time. Despite having star players like Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle, and many others, the silverware has eluded them for 16 years now.
Their latest failure to claim the title has led to the exits of Sanjay Bangar and Mike Hesson from their roles in the coaching setup. Former Zimbabwe player and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) coach Andy Flower has been appointed as the new head coach of the franchise ahead of the 2024 season.
Du Plessis is currently recovering following the surgery. The tennis elbow has given him some serious trouble in recent times. While he scored a brilliant knock in his most recent game, he had endured a horrific campaign with the bat for the Texas Super Kings (TSK) in the inaugural edition of the Major League Cricket (MLC).