WATCH: Virat Kohli passionately celebrates Faf du Plessis thumping a six
Virat Kohli was the happiest person on the field after his captaincy successor Faf du Plessis hit a fantastic maximum in Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) IPL 2022 opening game on Sunday (March 27) in Mumbai.
Facing the Punjab Kings (PBKS) part-timer Liam Livingstone, Du Plessis smashed a full-pitched delivery straight over the bowler’s head for another six runs to his kitty.
Immediately after the ball sailed past the ropes, his batting partner and predecessor Kohli was seen relishing the moment more than anyone.
In heartening scenes, reflecting a positive mood in the camp in relation to Du Plessis’ captaincy takeover after Virat Kohli’s decision to call quits, the Indian batting great was seen waving his hands in celebration for a six made by the South African stalwart.
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Virat Kohli waved his hands in joy for a Faf du Plessis maximum.
Virat Kohli the happiest after Faf du Plessis’ well-timed six
The incident happened on the fifth ball of the 12th over in the RCB innings where Du Plessis was looking to turn Livingstone’s relatively quiet over into an expensive one by finding the ropes. The batter’s intent paid immediate fruits after he found one in his radar against the wristspinner and dispatched the ball through the long-on region for a clean six.
The cameras then caught Virat Kohli celebrating the maximum on his batting partner’s behalf, raising his hands and waving it as he went to Du Plessis from the other end.
Kohli has been vocal in welcoming the South African veteran on board in the RCB camp and this was the earliest sign in the league that he is providing him all the support.
— Peep (@Peep00470121) March 27, 2022
Virat Kohli decided to let go of the RCB captaincy badge at the end of the IPL 2021 where the immensely popular franchise made the playoffs for the second successive season.
Kohli had declared putting a timer on his RCB captaincy days ahead of the UAE leg of the competition, around when he had also given up India’s leadership in T20Is citing workload management going forward.
RCB, one of the only initially IPL franchises without a trophy under their cabinet, had their best finish under Kohli’s captaincy back in 2016 when they made the final and gut-wrenchingly lost to eventual winners Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Bangalore. In total, he led RCB in 140 IPL matches and won 64 of those, losing 69.