Royal Challengers Bangalore will be led by former captain Virat Kohli for the third time in a row. The development got confirmed when Kohli walked out for the toss ahead of the 36th match of the ongoing 16th season of the Indian Premier League at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium tonight.
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With Kohli leading RCB to two consecutive wins this season, fans wouldn’t mind him donning the captaincy hat for the second home match. For the unversed, Kohli had relinquished captaincy after the culmination of IPL 2021 in the UAE.
Kohli, who was asked to bat first after losing the toss on the previous two occasions, won the toss and invited Kolkata Knight Riders to bat first tonight. “Decided to bowl first. No brainer. Evening game at Chinnaswamy [Stadium], we’ve chased well here,” Kohli told host broadcaster Star Sports Network at the toss.
Is Faf du Plessis Injured?
Yes. For those who don’t know, Faf du Plessis isn’t leading Royal Challengers due to a rib injury. In what appeared to be a minor niggle initially, it has forced the 38-year old player to miss leading in three successive matches now.
du Plessis himself admitted that he wouldn’t have even batted in these matches had it not been for the newly-launched Impact Player rule. Although du Plessis was hopeful of participating in both the innings of their last match against Rajasthan Royals at the same venue, the recovery hasn’t been according to the original plan for the former South African captain.
Why is Faf du Plessis Not the Captain of RCB in IPL 2023?
Since he cannot field for 20 overs, du Plessis hasn’t been the captain of Bangalore lately. A rib injury on the right side, however, doesn’t affect the batting of a right-handed batter (because left side of the body is mostly used).
It is noteworthy that du Plessis is currently the highest IPL 2023 run-scorer on the back of scoring 405 runs in seven innings at an average of 67.50 and a strike rate of 164.30 despite an injury.
Kohli, who is enjoying an incumbent leadership position, was hopeful of du Plessis taking back the reigns in the next match against Lucknow Super Giants in Lucknow on Monday.
“It’s been fun so far because of the way the team has been playing. Faf [du Plessis] will be playing the Impact role again. Hopefully, he’ll be back leading from the next game,” Kohli mentioned.
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