IPL 2023 | DC batters put pressure on spinners which led to some errors: RCB captain Faf du Plessis after the loss

Delhi Capitals player Phil Salt plays a shot during the IPL T20 Match at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium in New Delhi on Saturday, May 06, 2023. | Photo Credit: RV Moorthy

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Faf du Plessis admitted that the Delhi Capitals (DC) batters put pressure on his spinners which led to some mistakes in the IPL 2023 match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

DC opener and wicket-keeper batter Phil Salt played a match-winning innings of 87 runs to help his team beat RCB by seven wickets with 20 balls to spare. Faf du Plessis emphasized that Delhi Capitals destroyed the 182-run chase in the powerplay and the fog played a role in the second innings.

“I thought we were pretty close to par. We thought 185 is a good score. But there was a little fog in the second innings. But we have to give credit to their batters, they played really well. The pressure their batters put on the spinners led to some mistakes,” du Plessis said in a post-match presentation.

“We didn’t maximize the innings. In 12 overs, we felt 185 was a par score. Obviously, you want to have one of those big overs to take you to 200, which would be a good score. But they made our bowlers sit a bit after the powerplay,” added du Plessis.

Du Plessis also said that the 82-run opening stand laid a solid framework for Glenn Maxwell to come in at number three. Mitchell Marsh dismissed Maxwell for a golden duck, so the move backfired. Mahipal Lomror hit a crucial fifty to help RCB reach a competitive total of 181/4.

“We felt that we have a good enough foundation for Maxi to come in at three. Very pleased to see Lomror came in at No. 5 and play really well. It was very positive for him. I just hope at No. 3, someone Raised their hands and scored a lot of runs. They kind of broke the back chasing the first six, the way they went,” said du Plessis.

Coming into the match, chasing 182, David Warner immediately ran as he hit two fours off Siraj in the first over of the innings. Phil Salt also took the aggressive route as he hit a four off Glenn Maxwell and then a four and a six off Josh Hazlewood.

Warner welcomed Wanindu Hasaranga into the attack with a powerful six over deep square leg. He hit another four in the same region to make it 12 runs off the over. Salt continued his aggressive batting as he hit back-to-back sixes and fours off Mohd. Siraj. It was Hazlewood who finally broke the 60-run stand as he outfoxed Warner (22 off 14) at a slower pace, catching him at mid-on. Mitchell Marsh was quick out of the blocks as he hit a six and a four off Hazlewood to take DC to 70/1 at the end of the Powerplay.

Salt kept the scoreboard going and brought up his second IPL fifty, off just 28 balls and DC’s 100 as he hit a pull over at mid-wicket off Karn Sharma to take 16 in the 9th over. With the partnership blossoming, Kohli brought Harshal Patel, who replaced Kedar Jadhav as Impact Player in the eighth over, into the attack and he broke the 59-run partnership, catching Marsh (26 off 17) at deep square leg . a slower one.

With 56 needed from 48, Salt and Rilee Rossouw took over Harshal’s attack, smashing three sixes and a four to amass 24 runs from the over and brought the required run rate below five. It was a change of momentum that put DC in the driver’s seat.

Salt continued to hit sixes as he hit one over deep mid-wicket off Hasaranga to bring the equation down to 23 needed from 36. Salt’s spectacular 87-run innings finally came to an end when he pulled the one to the stumps from Karn Sharma with Need 11 off 28. Axar comes and smashes six first balls. Rossouw finished it off in style with a six over deep mid-wicket as DC chased down the target with 20 balls to spare and seven wickets to spare.