From Faf du Plessis to Virat Kohli: top three performers for RCB against MI

The Royal Challengers Bangalore were on song last night as they smashed the Mumbai Indians emphatically, thanks to a swashbuckling display from Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli as the duo stitched together a crucial 148-run stand for the opening wicket.

However, that wasn’t the only display that set the tone of the game for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. It was a collective show of brilliance from the batters and the bowlers, aptly backed by the fielders, cutting down crucial boundaries and keeping down things to a bare minimum. After careful consideration, here are our three best performers from last night.

1.    Faf du Plessis – 73 (43) and a stunning catch

The RCB skipper set the tone right with an absolute beauty of a catch to remove the crucial wicket of Hrithik Shokeen. Later on, with the bat, Faf was at the top of his game, using the fielding restrictions to the fullest while also smacking around the bowlers through the air more than they would have expected. In his 43-ball 73, he smashed five fours and six sixes, smashing the ball at a staggering strike rate of 169.77.

2.    Virat Kohli – 82* (49)

You cannot keep Virat Kohli away from the action for long and as a gift to the RCB fans, the star batter put on a show for the ages. Kohli started off on a slow note, simply playing the anchor role at the other end of Faf’s mindless destruction. However, once he picked up the pace, it was double trouble for the Mumbai Indians as he clobbered the bowlers, staying unbeaten for a match-winning 82. This was also Kohli’s 45th IPL fifty and in a swift move of poetic justice, he would also go on to administer the coup de grace to derail MI.

3.    Karn Sharma – 2/32

Not even the most ardent RCB supporter would have expected the introduction of Karn Sharma but the seasoned leg-spinner, who had a fine domestic season, was thrown at the deep end and he did finish with a wondrous spell, bagging two crucial scalps that included big–hitters Nehal Wadhera and Tim David. He was also pretty economical, keeping things tight, which proved to be an instrumental factor in helping RCB keep Mumbai in check.