‘He’s one of my favourite guys to bat with’ – Faf du Plessis sheds light on how it is like to bat with Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)

Indian batting icon Virat Kohli was all set to feature in the recently-concluded Test series against England, however, he backed out at the last moment, citing personal reasons. On February 20, Kohli along with his actress-wife Anushka Sharma, took to social media to announce the birth of their second child, whom they named Akaay. Kohli has now touched down in Mumbai just five days ahead of the commencement of the forthcoming IPL season.

Also Read: Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma blessed with baby boy

The current skipper of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Faf du Plessis, who was drafted by the franchise for INR 7 crore at the mega auction ahead of the 2022 edition of the IPL, had quite a lot of appreciation in store for his teammate, both of whom were the batters who accumulated the most number of runs in the previous edition of the marquee league (730 for Du Plessis and 639 for Kohli). He spoke about how batting was an aspect on which they bonded over, and even went as far as mentioning that Kohli was one of his favourites to bat alongside, also stating the kind of passion Kohli exudes while on the field.

“Batting is probably the other thing that we click on equally. You know, it is unbelievable batting with him. He’s one of my favourite guys to bat with. He brings out so much energy in me, like sometimes, I feel like I’m fist-bumping my glove through his hand because he gets so passionate. Him being out there in the middle, which is really infectious, the way he gives that energy, and I remember being in the opposition and how that really is,” du Plessis told Star Sports. 

He’s really important to me in terms of the field: du Plessis on Kohli

du Plessis reiterated Kohli’s dynamism and zest, be it on the field or off it. The former emphasized the latter’s utility while on the field, and the fact that Kohli always gives it his all by never taking the foot off the gas and always being his most competitive self.

“Let’s hope for that amount of energy, because it was like this guy is just always on. How did you manage it? So it’s really infectious, the same thing on the field, because, like catching balls, we are both very competitive, and I make sure we get those good catches for the team. So he’s really important to me in terms of the field. I think, indeed, so many things fast as a team. But fielding is, he said, so he sets the time for the energy on the field,” the RCB skipper added.

Also Read: I and Virat are very similar, this is why we connected well during my first season at RCB: Faf du Plessis