Virat Kohli's presence in RCB squad is great advantage for Faf du Plessis: Mohammad Azharuddin

Royal Challengers Bangalore kick start their IPL 2022 campaign against the Punjab Kings at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Sunday evening. The Bangalore franchise has bestowed their trust on Faf du Plessis to lead the pack in the upcoming season, and the skipper proved their decision right from the first clash. After losing the toss and being asked to bat by the Punjab Kings, Du Plessis opened the innings with Anuj Rawat, and both the batters unleashed their lethal mode right from the beginning.

While Rawat could not accompany his skipper for long, Du Plessis found the perfect partner in the form of Virat Kohli, who turned out to be equally dangerous for Mayank Agarwal’s team. The duo went berserk over Punjab bowlers and added 118 runs for the second wicket.

Both experienced batters played at a strike rate of 140-plus and stamped their authority against Punjab’s bowling attack. Eventually, the combination of Du Plessis and Kohli turned out to be lethal for the Punjab bowlers, and the duo proved the prediction of former Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin right.

The combination of Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis would be deadly: Mohammad Azharuddin

While speaking on Sky247.net, which presents ‘Not Just Cricket Show on CricTracker’, Azharuddin said, “Virat Kohli has rich experience of leading the side. Also, he has performed well as a player, while being the captain. His presence in the team will be an edge for Faf du Plessis. Kohli will provide a significant advantage to Faf as the latter is taking on the captaincy role for the first time in the Indian Premier League.”

Azharuddin also added that the duo will be dangerous as batters at the top of the order. “Both cricketers have proved their authority as batters. They are two of the most dangerous players. I won’t mind seeing Kohli opening for the side along with Faf. That would be really lethal for the opponents,” he concluded.

While Azharuddin shared his analysis before the match, the batters proved him right during the game. As Du Plessis returned to the pavillion after adding 88 runs in 57 balls, Virat Kohli remained unbeaten in the contest and scored 41 off 29 deliveries. After Du Plessis was dismissed, Virat Kohli and Dinesh Karthik continued to attack the Punjab bowlers and added 37 runs in 17 balls before the first innings ended. RCB posted 205 in their 20-over quota.