"What a mayhem that was Faf" - Twitter hails RCB skipper for breathtaking 64(23) vs GT in IPL 2024 clash
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) skipper Faf du Plessis produced his best knock of the IPL 2024 season against Gujarat Titans (GT). It came much to the delight of the fans at Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday, May 4.
Chasing a moderate 148 for victory, the 39-year-old smashed the bowling from the get-go. Faf reached his half-century off just 18 deliveries, the second fastest by an RCB batter in IPL history.
He finished on 64 off 23 deliveries with 10 boundaries and 3 maximums to effectively kill the run-chase. The former South African captain endured a poor start to the season but has picked up steam in RCB's recent outings. It was Faf's fourth 40+ score in his last seven innings. It took his season tally to 357 runs at an average of 32 and a strike rate of 172.54 in 11 games.
Fans on Twitter hailed Faf for his scintillating batting display and below are some of the best reactions:
The fans continued to throw their showers for Faf with one tweeting:
"faf not being in south african t20 team still amazes me. he has still some fuel left in the tank."
"Captain Faf du Plesis is single handedly carrying this finished team," tweeted another fan.
"That was a pretty insane knock from Faf," said a fan.
RCB stutter after a fast start in their run-chase
The hosts raced to 92/1 at the end of the powerplay, thanks to Faf du Plessis' blistering knock. However, his dismissal led to a mini-collapse, with Will Jacks, Rajat Patidar, and Glenn Maxwell falling in quick succession to leave the side 108/4 in 9 overs.
Nevertheless, Faf's opening partner, Virat Kohli, is going strong on 36 off 22 deliveries, with all-rounder Cameron Green joining him in the middle. RCB required a further 40 runs off 66 balls to complete a third consecutive win and move up from the bottom of the table with a 4th victory in 11 outings.
Should they finish the task off in quick time, the Royals' net run rate will receive a massive boost. It would also keep them in contention for a miraculous playoff qualification.