Royal Challengers Bangalore have begun their IPL 2023 campaign with an impressive show against Mumbai Indians. A target of 172 appears a bit challenging on paper but the duo of Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis made short work of it, helping RCB hunt it down inside 17 overs for an eight-wicket win.
Both Kohli and du Plessis struck attacking half-centuries.
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Kohli top-scored with an unbeaten 82 off 49 while captain Du Plessis made 43-ball 73. The pair struck a combined 11 fours and 11 sixes and stitched a 148-run partnership for the first wicket as well.
RCB legend Chris Gayle, who holds the record for the highest individual score in T20 history, reckons that Kohli and Du Plessis will feed off each other and the franchise can be assured to get almost 400 runs each from them.
“We know Faf is class. He’s an excellent captain and an excellent player. He has done it all over international cricket as well, so this is not new to Faf," said Gayle, a JioCinema IPL expert.
“One thing I can tell you, Virat and Faf are going to feed off each other perfectly. Look at the way they start, they look to drop and run. They pick up their ones and their twos and by the third over comes, they’re ready to take it out. That’s something bowlers and teams got to be aware of because these two, I’ve said this before, you’re guaranteed almost 400 runs," he added.
Former India batter and Chennai Super Kings legend Suresh Raina thinks that the quick chase would help RCB’s net run-rate down the line and pointed out that MI bowling looks weak.
“The way RCB chased the total down in 16 overs, this will help their run rate later in the tournament. MI’s bowling looked really weak. It didn’t even look like a wicket would fall," said Raina.
That MI were able to post 171/7 was thanks to a superlative effort from the young Tilak Varma who struck an unbeaten 84 off 46.
“MI were struggling when he (Tilak) came into bat as the top order was back in the dugout by then. But he did a commendable job of resurrecting the innings and then scoring big himself," said RP Singh.
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