Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Faf du Plessis (62) was nowhere to be seen on the ground in the last few overs of their fielding innings against Chennai Super Kings in Bengaluru tonight.
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Although RCB don’t have a designated vice-captain, all-rounder Glenn Maxwell (1/28 & 76) was spotted calling the shots in du Plessis’ absence. du Plessis, however, batted at his usual opening position in spite of facing some discomfort while fielding.
du Plessis, who scored a stroke-filled 56th T20 and 28th IPL half-century in Bangalore’s unsuccessful attempt to chase down a 227-run target, was seen getting heavily strapped around his stomach after the 13th over. Known for his chiseled physique, photos of du Plessis’ abs are already viral across social media platforms.
Faf du Plessis Injury Details
While the exact nature of the injury remained unknown throughout the match, du Plessis provided all the details whilst chatting with host broadcaster Star Sports Network after the culmination of Indian Premier League 2023 Match 24. The extent of the injury, however, wasn’t discussed at all which hints at the 38-year old player’s high probability of playing their next match against Punjab Kings in Mohali on Thursday.
“Early on in the match, I was diving around and I thought I went at it with my rib, that was the cause of discomfort,” du Plessis told Star Sports.
du Plessis, who admitted to not being able to finish the innings as well he would’ve liked as a team, disclosed that the injury had started to bother him whilst batting. “I lost a little bit of power towards the end, was disappointed as I got stiff,” former South African captain added.
Despite former Royal Challengers captain Virat Kohli (6) getting out in the first over itself, the home team remained in the match with an eye on a record run-chase on the back of individual half-centuries from du Plessis and Maxwell. Had it not been for the duo putting together a 61-ball 126-run third-wicket partnership, they would’ve easily hampered their NRR (Net Run Rate) on Monday.
