Playing with Virat Kohli is better than playing against him: Faf du Plessis

Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Faf du Plessis has stated that playing with Virat Kohli is much better than competing against him in a match. The South Africa international also lauded the Indian batting legend for his sheer passion for the game and stated that Kohli always gives his all on the field and that is one aspect of his that he admires a lot.

Notably, batting together in the ongoing IPL 2023, the duo has played several match-winning knocks and are two of the most dependable batters in the RCB camp. Faf has registered 631 runs in 12 matches so far in the competition and with that, he is currently leading the IPL 2023 Orange Cap race while Virat has managed to hit 438 runs in 12 matches and is sixth on the Orange Cap list.

“The biggest thing about Virat is his passion. I always admire playing against Virat. The amount of passion that he has, for every wicket that falls, he would be on a 10-on-10 for every wicket. I wonder how this guy is always passionate, even if a number 11 player gets out. I was in awe of the amount of passion that he has, playing the game of cricket. Now being on the same team as him, I can tell you that playing with him is better than playing against him,” the RCB skipper was quoted as saying by NDTV.

“When you are playing against him, sometimes, that passion can fuel you as well. I've been on the other side of that. Whereas if you play with him, it's such a great thing. You feel that passion batting with him, and it's really really infectious. It makes you wanna give your absolute best all the time as well. It's been great to know the player behind the cricket player and the person behind the cricket player. He is an extremely generous, kind-hearted man. Also a family-oriented like myself. We have become really good friends. We share a lot of similar interests, family driven, passion and tattoos,” he added.

Meanwhile, Bangalore will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad (May 18) and Gujarat Titans (May 21) in their remaining two matches in the league. If they manage to win both, the three-time finalists can once again qualify for another IPL playoffs.