"That puts Kohli under pressure at the other end" - Brad Hogg reflects on Faf du Plessis' poor strike rate during powerplay in IPL 2022
Former Australian spinner Brad Hogg feels Faf du Plessis' poor strike rate in the powerplay puts pressure on Virat Kohli to up the ante. The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain, despite being one of the top scorers in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, only holds a strike rate of 104 in the first six overs.
The former Proteas skipper now partners Virat Kohli up top after the franchise made the switch from Anuj Rawat midway through the season. With Kohli yet to reach his best, the onus is on Du Plessis to ensure a good powerplay with the bat for RCB.
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Opining that the LSG pacers can take advantage of this predicament, Hogg said on his YouTube channel:
"Du Plessis strikes at 104 in the powerplay and that puts Kohli under pressure at the other end, who has just found his touch but is not at his best yet."
Hogg added:
"So, Chameera and Avesh Khan can capitalise on this by consistently bowling at the top of off and make them play shots they don't want to. LSG do not want Maxwell facing Bishnoi and Pandya in the middle overs, because he dominates spin."
The RCB stalwarts put up a 115-run stand in their must-win encounter against Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Wankhede Stadium. Du Plessis primarily played the role of the anchor in the run chase and ended with a strike rate of 115.79.
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"KL Rahul has got to lift his strike rate in the powerplay, it is not good enough" - Brad Hogg
Similar to his opposition captain, KL Rahul boasts a poor strike rate in the initial phase of the innings. The 30-year-old only has a strike rate of 94 in the powerplay.
While the right-handed batter has managed to score 537 runs at a strike rate of 134, his early departures with a poor scoring rate have put pressure on the IPL team.
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Hogg backed RCB to put LSG under pressure by asking them to chase in the Eliminator. He said:
"LSG don't handle pressure situations well. If RCB win the toss, they will ask Lucknow to chase. The powerplay phase will be crucial in this contest."
Opining that Rahul has to take the attack to the likes of Hazlewood and Maxwell in the powerplay itself, Hogg said:
"KL Rahul has got to lift his strike rate in the powerplay, it is not good enough. It puts too much pressure on the rest of the batting unit. You also cannot allow Maxwell to have an economy of 5 or less in the powerplay."
At the same time, LSG have thrived on occasions where Rahul has helped the team put up a solid platform. The abundance of all-rounders in the side helps them accelerate in the final overs of the innings.
Noting the death overs as a potential tipping point where the contest could pivot, Hogg said:
"LSG are dominant in the death overs with the bat while RCB are the worst bowling attack in that phase. LSG could turn a 160 score into 190 if they capitalize on a good start."
LSG will face RCB in the IPL 2022 Eliminator at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday, May 25.