The RCB skipper also opened up about his own performance against PBKS.
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Faf du Plessis admitted that the dropping the catch of Odean Smith played a big role in his team’s 5-wicket defeat to Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the third match of the ongoing IPL 2022 at Dr. DY Patil Sports Stadium, Mumbai, on Sunday (March 27).
RCB posted a daunting total of 205/2 on the back of Faf du Plessis’s (88) half-century and a hundred-plus partnership with Virat Kohli (41*), but a quickfire cameo from Smith helped PBKS to start the IPL 2022 campaign with a five-wicket win with an over to spare in Mumbai on Sunday.
Notably, Harshal Patel invited Odean to play a line outside off-stump, when RCB required only one wicket to seal the match, and his trap was nearly successful, as the West Indian debutant failed to connect a big one and juggled the bowl straight into the hands of Anuj Rawat.
But Smith survived as Anuj could not hold on to the catch, which resulted in the turning point of the game, as Odean smashed three sixes and one four in the next over of Mohammed Siraj to seal the game for PBKS.
Smith ended with a score of 25 off just 8 deliveries, the knock laced with 3 sixes and 1 four, and he was rewarded as the player of the match for his heroics against RCB.
Du Plessis said at the post-match presentation: “The catches towards the end. Odean Smith 25 off 8 balls.. I think we probably dropped him on 10. After that, we are looking at some tailenders coming in. The cliche of catches win Matches.”
Speaking about the conditions at Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy, the RCB skipper noted: “There was a bit of dew out there, tough night for the bowlers, but I thought they were pretty decent with the wet ball. Small margins, but they chased it down really well. They had a really good powerplay. The ball skidded on a bit more in the second innings and then we pulled it back beautifully.”
He added, “We did a lot of good things in the middle. But you know what Odean Smith can do to you. So you got to hold on to those chances. Even the other guy, Shahrukh Khan, didn’t really nail it tonight until the last couple of balls. So completely different game if you hold on to those chances.”
Du Plessis signed off by saying on his own performance, “I am just glad I got away without injuring myself because I spent so much time on my elbows diving. It was tough to start with the bat today. The first four overs the ball was swinging, I was 1 off 10 I guess. Clutching the bat a bit hard but pleasing to get through it.”