"Have got a gut feeling you'll get a hundred,": Virat Kohli recalls Faf du Plessis' words before chase vs SRH

Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis added 172 runs for the opening wicket against SRH in Hyderabad.

In a remarkable display of skill, Royal Challengers Bangalore achieved a truly memorable triumph in the IPL 2023 by convincingly defeating the Sunrisers Hyderabad with 8 wickets in hand. Throughout this season, RCB's opening duo, Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli, have proven to be the most prosperous partnership, and their latest performance elevated their collaboration to new heights. Together, they constructed an impressive 172-run partnership while chasing a target of 187, thus establishing the highest opening wicket stand of the season. This incredible feat highlights the exceptional form of the Kohli-Du Plessis pair, who have amassed a staggering 872 runs in 13 matches during the IPL 2023.

Kohli and Du Plessis Reflect on Outstanding Performance

Following their outstanding performance in the game, the two prominent batsmen of RCB engaged in a conversation. In a video shared on iplt20.com, Virat Kohli shared an interesting revelation, stating that Faf du Plessis had a strong intuition that his opening partner would score a century in Hyderabad.

“Just before went into bat, Faf said, ‘I’ve got a gut feeling that one of the top three is going to get a hundred’. I said if the odds over someone getting a century, it looks like you, given the way you are batting. He said, ‘I think, it’s you’. So, you called it. I never felt like, it’s going to happen so quickly in 2-3 over’s time. But I’m happier about the fact that we got a decent start. 172 on the board, that partnership set things nicely for us and this is exactly what we play for,” Kohli said.

“I’ve batting in the nets, but I couldn’t really bring that game to the surface, in the middle, and I felt this pitch was nice with the new ball especially from me to get going as I had in the first 8-9 games. I wanted to pick my game at that stage because you and Maxi (Glenn Maxwell) have taken the game to another level. So, I wanted to join in and make an impact as well,” he added.

Watch the chat here:

Reflecting on their partnership throughout the season, Virat Kohli expressed his immense enjoyment of batting alongside Faf du Plessis. He further revealed that the connection he shares with Faf is reminiscent of the bond he had with AB de Villiers until 2021.

“Batting with you has always been amazing. I’ve always watched you perform really well in T20 cricket but for me, this has been your best T20 season across any competition. And I hope that continues” Kohli said.

Kohli Equals Gayle's Record of Most Centuries in IPL History

Moreover, this partnership witnessed a significant milestone as Virat Kohli secured his first IPL century since 2019, matching the record set by Chris Gayle for the most centuries in the league's history. Kohli's brilliant innings comprised 100 runs off 63 deliveries, while the RCB captain, exhibiting his masterful batting skills, contributed 71 runs off 47 balls, which included two sixes and seven boundaries.