Faf du Plessis steers RCB to victory with majestic 96

They say that when the going gets tough, the tough gets going. Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Faf du Plessis held one end tight even as wickets fell at the other end including two in the very first over to score a chanceless 96 (64b, 11x4, 2x6) and steer his team to an 18-run victory over Lucknow Super Giants at DY Patil Stadium on Tuesday.

Having seen left-handed opening partner Anuj Rawat and the player whom he replaced as captain, Virat Kohli, fall in the fifth and sixth deliveries of the first over, Du Plessis built his innings slowly but steadily. Though he fell for four short of what would have been a maiden IPL century, du Plessis’s score was worth much more in the circumstances.

He started his first attacking shot by dismissing Chameera over the point fielder to deny the Sri Lankan a hat-trick. However, he was happy to play second fiddle to the big-hitting Glenn Maxwell. The Australian played his strokes freely to race to 23 off 11 balls with three fours and one six and dominated the third wicket stand of 37 in just 4.2 overs, du Plessis’s contribution being 14.

Thereafter, du Plessis got into his elements, driving fiercely down the ground and pulling anything short and wide. A beautifully lofted six off left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya in the 15^th over was proof enough that du Plessis was on song on the day.

Du Plessis being the professional that he is and one who thrives in challenging situations, posted his second half-century of the season, surpassing 88 he scored in RCB’s first match of the season, also his first as the team captain. His 96 also equalled his IPL best and was only one hit away from a maiden three-figure score when he pulled Jason Holder to deep backward square leg in the penultimate delivery of the match.

Du Plessis’s 24^th IPL fifty in his 107^th match and the 100^th innings was crucial in RCB posting a total (181 for 6) that was just enough to beat Lucknow Super Giants on the day. He was well supported by Shahbaz Ahmed for the fifth wicket, the two sharing 70 in 48 balls while another 49 for the sixth wicket with Dinesh Karthik not only took the team beyond 150 but also to a safe total.