IPL 2023: Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli make it an open and shut case

The up and coming Tilak Varma demonstrated his big-hitting prowess as well as his composure, but a masterly show Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis put the 20-year-old’s effort into shade, as Bangalore chased 172 in 16.2 overs and eight wickets in hand. It was a statement of intent as much as a victory.
Oldguards put on show
Towards the end of RCB’s stroll, Kolhi and Du Plessis were like a pair of old friends having some Sunday fun in a club game, their sole motivation, to test each other’s skills and athleticism. For one thunderous Kohli stroke, Du Plessis would hit two; for one tight Du Plessi single, Kohli would sneak. Beyond a point, when the clash was effectively settled, both seemed to compete among themselves. What unfolded was thrilling batting, two masters of the game batting with joie de vivre, both unpacking a torrent of glorious strokes, making the chase of 172 look carefree, to the utter delight of the RCB fans.

An 8⃣-wicket victory at home to kick off the season in style 👌👌@RCBTweets are up and running in #TATAIPL 2023 🙌
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/ws391sGhme#TATAIPL | #RCBvMI pic.twitter.com/NlqIbjqHdC
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 2, 2023
Nights like these, of pure domination, are rare for RCBians, accustomed as they are to mediocrity. Perhaps, this is a new beginning. Kohli might have reached a point in his RCB life that the fear of failure no longer burdens him. Du Plessis has retired from international cricket, and he has tasted IPL success with the Chennai Super Kings. In that sense, he too is unburdened. Maybe, this is how RCB could mount a strong title challenge. There is the nucleus for one — Mohammed Siraj was exceptionally inspired in the powerplay, in which they conceded just 29 runs; Harshal Patel seems to have rediscovered his accuracy; the motley crew of Akash Deep, Michael Bracewell. Reece Topley and Karn Sharma are more than resourceful. The batting is muscled with Glenn Maxwell and Dinesh Karthik too.
But their hopes of going deep into the tournament hinges much on Kohli and Du Plessis. The South African set the tone of the chase, and perhaps of their campaign, with an assault on Jason Behrendorff in the third over of the game. The strokes were imperious — a down-the-track cover drive, a thrust over midwicket and a blaze down the ground, those sculpted forearms of his winking at the inky night. Kohli, soon, could not res a few strokes himself.
He, though enjoyed a slice of fortune when Jofra Archer spilled a return catch when he was on seven. The long-injured bowler from England would soon rue the missed opportunity, when Kohli steered him past point for a four and then cuffed him over long-off for a six. Both Mumbai and Archer did not recover from the early blows, as Kohli and Du Plessis put on 148 runs in 14.5 overs to take the game beyond Mumbai.
Dawn of a new hero
Amidst the chaos swirling around them, Varma stood unruffled, composing a coming-of-age knock in duress. When the tall, wiry-framed left-hander strode in, Mumbai Indians were teetering at 20 for three, having lost Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Cameron Green. He did not panic, smearing the second ball he faced, off Akash Deep, over long-on. Both the shot and the nonchalance would be repeated, as his unconquered 84 accounted for nearly half the runs Mumbai mustered (171/7) in the end. He alone breathed life into a game that RCB seemed to have sewn-up.
The stroke advertised his sense of purpose — he cleared his front-leg and swung his arms deliciously, one of the several counterpunches he would land in the night. But none stung as much as his last stroke of the night, a whirring helicopter shot six. Harshal Patel’s yorker went awry, but still it furnished little room for him for a free-swing. Varma, his body flailing, flexed his powerful wrs at the last moment to slay the ball over long-on. There was more of the former Mumbai Indian Hardik Pandya than the sultan of helicopters, MS Dhoni.

Varma displayed his all-round mastery, there were scoops and ramps too, but predominantly he is power-reliant, the bottom-handed grip exerting its clout, likes to hang back and use the depth of crease. But as much as the skills with the willow, he has the gift of clarity, to process the situation and bat accordingly. Such a situation as the one he walked in would have frazzled most 20-year-olds. Soon he would lose another experienced colleague, Suryakumar Yadav. But Varma would neither over-attack nor under-attack.
Even their sturdiest bowler, Mohammed Siraj, could not hassle him. Before his last over, Siraj’s spell read 3-0-5-1.
But something about Varma unnerved Siraj. In an attempt to bowl wide yorkers, he ended up conceding four successive wide balls. Unsettled, he bowled a length ball that Varma duly dispatched over the bowler’s head. Siraj went shot of length, but Varma rocked back and pulled it fiercely past square-leg. Then came the helicopter of Harshal that brought some cheer in the Mumbai camp on an otherwise gloomy night.