Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) ousted IPL 2023 after losing to Gujarat Titans in the last league game on Sunday (May 21). It was a must win game for them to qualify for the playoffs but Shubman GillGT chased down 198 with complete ease in the end thanks to a brilliant ton by K.K. RCB had qualified for the playoffs for three consecutive seasons and this season finally ended the streak. The team may have lost, but the opening pair Virat Kohli And Faf Du Plessis Created an all-time record in the Indian Premier League.
The duo added 61 runs for the first wicket against GT before Faf du Plessis was dismissed in the 8th over. This was their 8th 50-plus partnership this season, the most for any pair in IPL history in a single IPL edition. Virat Kohli is again on the list for sharing 7 fifty-plus partnerships with AB de Villiers in IPL 2016.
Interestingly, Faf du Plessis is also joint second on the list, having added 50-plus scores on 7 occasions in IPL 2021 along with Ruturaj Gaikwad when he was with Chennai Super Kings. The old pair of David Warner and Sunrisers Hyderabad Johnny Bairstow Did this seven times in IPL 2019 as well.
This season also proved to be excellent for both RCB openers du Plessis and Kohli. Both of them finished in the list of top five run-scorers in IPL 2023. While du Plessis is on top with 730 runs from 14 matches, Kohli has scored 639 runs with six fifties and two centuries and is third. However, Shubman Gill has every chance to win the Orange Cap as he has scored 680 runs in 14 matches and is in second place. Devon Conway is the only other player who will be in the playoffs. He has scored 585 runs and is at the fifth position.