Virat handling indifferent form really well, a good score is round the corner: Du Plessis

TIL Desk Sports/ Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper Faf du Plessis felt that Virat Kohli was handling his indifferent form “really well”, adding that at this crucial juncture all that a player can do is to make sure he keeps working hard, maintains good intensity and a good attitude. Kohli contributed just 20 runs in RCB’s 54-run thrashing by Punjab Kings at the Brabourne stadium, with the former India skipper smashing two boundaries and a six in his brief 14-ball stay at the crease.

While the need of the hour was to play a long and responsible innings, given that RCB were chasing a mammoth 209, the loss of Kohli and skipper du Plessis (10 runs) cheaply put too much pressure on the batters coming done the order and the team lost the plot. It was a huge setback for RCB, who are still in contention for the playoffs — they are currently fourth with 14 points on the points table — but with just one game to go, they are now facing an uphill qualification scenario.

Defending Kohli, in spite of another mediocre performance, du Plessis said, “It (209 set by Punjab Kings) was a good score. Obviously Jonny (Bairstow) the way he started the innings there put our bowlers under some real pressure. I thought we pulled it back and 200 was probably a par score on that wicket.