Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) teammates Virat Kohli and Faf Du Plessis' camaraderie transcends cricket field. The dazzling duo has been in smoking form in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 and has played an instrumental role in propelling RCB on cusp of playoffs.
Du Plessis and Kohli not just complement each other in the cricket field but also share a great bond outside of it.
Right ahead of RCB's must-win clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Thursday (May 18), skipper Du Plessis opened up on his bond for Kohli which is confined to the game but also his personality off the field.
"The biggest thing about Virat is his passion. I always admire playing against Virat. The amount of passion that he has, for every wicket that falls, he would be on a 10-on-10 for every wicket. I wonder how this guy is always passionate, even if a numer 11 player gets out. I was in awe of the amount of passion that he has, playing the game of cricket. Now being on the same team as him, I can tell you that playing with him is better than playing against him," Du Plessis told NDTV during the release of his book Faf Through Fire.
The former South African skipper also said that he would always prefer playing with Kohli than against him.
"When you are playing against him, sometimes, that passion can fuel you as well. I've been on the other side of that. Whereas if you play with him, it's such a great thing. You feel that passion batting with him, and it's really really infectious. It makes you wanna give your absolute best all the time as well. It's been great to know the player behind the cricket player and the person behind the cricket player. He is an extremely generous, kind-hearted man. Also a family-oriented like myself. We have become really good friends. We share a lot of similar interests, family driven, passion and tattoos," Du Plessis added.
Du Plessis has been roaring with the bat in the IPL 2023 as he has amassed 631 runs in 12 matches at a stunning average of 57.36 to hold the Orange Cap. Meanwhile, Kohli too has been in impressive form as he he has scored 438 runs in 12 matches at a decent average of 39.82.
Faf Du Plessis-led RCB got off to a resounding start to IPL 2023 with a win in the opening match, but since then their journey has been a mix of defeats and victories. With two more matches in hand before the clash against SRH, RCB are placed fifth in the IPL 2023's points table. They have 14 points in their kitty in 12 matches and a net run rate of +0.166.
RCB, who have reached IPL finals thrice, will look to win both of their remaining matches and face the table toppers and defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) in Qualifier 1, provided they earn victories in both the matches.
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