“Last year DK had a purple patch and was finishing games left, right and centre, but this season it wasn’t to be”, Faf du Plessis points out the main reason behind RCB not reaching the playoffs in IPL 2023

The Royal Challengers Bangalore’s IPL 2023 season concluded on a sour note on Sunday as they lost their final league game against the Gujarat Titans by six wickets at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. As a consequence, RCB finished in sixth place with 14 points after 14 games, putting them outside of the playoff picture. 

GT scored 198/4 in 19.1 overs while chasing 198, with opener Shubman Gill hitting the winning six. The India star scored 104 runs (without being dismissed) off just 52 deliveries. And it was Gill’s second consecutive IPL century. Mohammed Siraj, who bowls for RCB, managed to pick up two wickets.

At the outset, RCB scored 197/5 in 20 overs thanks to a second consecutive century from Virat Kohli. In 61 deliveries, the ex-RCB captain blasted 101*. Noor Ahmad, on the other hand, was GT’s fiery bowler, taking two wickets. Yash Dayal also got rid of wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik for a golden duck during RCB’s innings.

Faf du Plessis points out the main reason behind RCB not reaching the playoffs in IPL 2023

Duck number four for Karthik this year! The cricket veteran holds the record for most ducks in the Indian Premier League with 17. Karthik attempted to knock a short ball down leg in the 15th over, but the wicketkeeper, Wriddhiman Saha, took a good catch.

RCB skipper Faf du Plessis made a point to criticize Karthik’s middle-order performance after the game. He went on to say that this year’s winning teams all had solid batting in the middle of their lineup.

“Last year DK had a purple patch and was finishing games left, right and centre, but this season it wasn’t to be. And if you see the teams that succeed they have some good hitters at five at six probably six and seven”, Du Plessis said.

In the history of the Indian Premier League, Rajasthan Royals opener Jos Buttler holds the record with five ducks this season. Karthik is just the seventh player in history to have a season-high four ducks. Like Herschelle Gibbs, Shikhar Dhawan, and Eoin Morgan, he is now in esteemed company.

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