In the present Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 match at the storied Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai between the Mumbai Indians (MI) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Faf du Plessis has at last found his form.
During his pivotal IPL innings against the previous five-time champions, the captain of the Royal Challengers hit 150 sixes. Prior to the eagerly anticipated MI vs. RCB match, Du Plessis has 148 sixes to his name in the lucrative league.
In the second over, after being invited to bat first, the South African mainstay hit Gerald Coetzee for a six-over short fine leg. He tied the record of 149 IPL maximums held by the great Yuvraj Singh with this smash. Once again, the veteran hit Coetzee for a six-over mid-off in the fifth over, taking him above the 150-six mark in the IPL.
First half-century in IPL 2024 for Faf du Plessis
Du Plessis entered the match coming off of some terrible results. He has previously played for the Rising Pune Supergiants and the Chennai Super Kings. After the first five matches, he had only amassed 109 runs. But the 39-year-old turned up the heat and connected with Rajat Patidar for an outstanding 82 runs off 47 balls on a field where he had previously hit two fifties in his previous three innings.
Eventually, Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Du Plessis in the 17th over. With four fours and three sixes, the former had amassed 61 from 40 balls. In the 17th season of the cash-rich league, this ended up becoming his first half-century.
Also read: Shot of the Day: Rajat Patidar smashes maximum off Hardik Pandya at Wankhede-MI vs RCB IPL 2024
After Virat Kohli and Will Jacks were removed from the RCB side in the first four overs, the former Proteas captain and Patidar’s combination arrived at a crucial time. With just one victory in their last five games, the Royal Challengers enter this match having suffered three straight losses and are currently ranked ninth in the standings. They will be frantic to resume their winning ways.