RCB vs RR IPL 2022: Skipper Faf du Plessis reveals it’s a game of confidence with Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli, who hasn’t scored a hundred in any format for more than three years now, had got out to first ball ducks in successive games before Tuesday’s match with a familiar pattern of dismissals outside the off-stump.

RCB batter Virat Kohli reacts after being dismissed against Rajasthan Royals in their IPL 2022 match. (Photo: BCCI/IPL)

Former India and Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli has been horribly out of form in this IPL 2022 but he got the backing of his current RCB skipper Faf du Plessis, who on Tuesday (April 26) said ‘great players go through phases like this’. Kohli was promoted to the top of the order against Rajasthan Royals on Tuesday after scoring back-to-back ducks but that move also did not yield the desired result as the former India captain was out for nine. RCB lost the match by 29 runs.

“We tried changing the batting line-up today and we feel that they can try playing positively,” Du Plessis said when asked about a struggling Kohli being sent to bat as an opener along with him. “(Kohli) Can’t go into a shell. Great players go through phases like this and we wanted to get him in the game straightaway so that he doesn’t sit in the sidelines and think about the game. It's a game of confidence.”

Tough night in Pune. _

Time to reflect, improve and come back stronger. #PlayBold #WeAreChallengers #IPL2022 #Mission2022 #RCB #____RCB #RCBvRR pic.twitter.com/fs6YZXWFkX — Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) April 26, 2022

Kohli, who hasn’t scored a hundred in any format for more than three years now, had got out to first ball ducks in successive games before Tuesday’s match with a familiar pattern of dismissals outside the off-stump. He has only managed 128 runs in 9 matches so far in this IPL 2022 without a single fifty to his name.

Du Plessis, however, admitted that his top-order batters are lacking in consistency and his side will haver to fix the problem sooner than later.

“The top order is a trick we need to fix. You need someone in the top four to bat through and we haven’t done that consistently,” he said. “It’s pretty similar to the previous game. If you hit the deck hard in the first few overs, it is hard to get away. The dropped chance cost us,” said the former South Africa captain.

Royals captain Sanju Samson said his side’s run chase was ‘looking dicey’ after 15 overs but they won the match thanks to Riyan Parag, who hit 56 not out off just 31 balls. “We have been backing him (Parag) and he came in and showed the world how explosive he can be,” Samson said.

“We were 10-15 runs short with no dew and the wicket turning a bit. We were waiting for the back end of the batting order to go out and win matches. Almost everyone has put up a match-winning performance until now.”

(with PTI inputs)