On Sunday, RCB captain Faf Du Plessis attributed the team’s exit from the league stage to several factors, particularly the middle-order’s inability to score runs, the team’s loss of wickets in the middle overs, and the absence of strong hitters in the lower order. Although Virat Kohli played brilliantly and scored a century, the defending champions Gujarat Titans eventually won the match by chasing down RCB’s score of 197/5 in 19.1 overs thanks to Shubman Gill’s unbeaten 104 off 52 balls.
In the post-match presentation, Du Plessis expressed his disappointment at the team’s defeat and acknowledged the excellent performance of Gill. He highlighted the team’s inconsistent performance throughout the season and the need for middle-order batsmen to step up their scores. The team’s struggles to take wickets in the middle overs and to finish games effectively were also identified as concerns.
Du Plessis praised Kohli’s performance throughout the season, indicating that Kohli played really well in partnership formation. However, he mentioned that the team needs to improve their finishing game, especially in the back end, as last year Dinesh Karthik finished games really well but couldn’t do it this season. He also suggested that teams that succeed have strong hitters in the middle to lower order.
On a positive note, Du Plessis himself had a memorable IPL 2023 season with the bat. He scored 730 runs at an average of 56.15 and 153.68 in 14 matches, and his contribution was essential to the team. Shubman Gill was named Man of the Match for his excellent knock.