In the final league game of IPL 2023 on May 21, Gujarat Titans emerged victorious against Royal Challengers Bangalore, resulting in RCB’s elimination from the tournament. Reflecting on their performance, RCB skipper Faf du Plessis openly acknowledged that his team did not merit a place in the top 4 due to their inability to function as a cohesive unit.
Initially, Royal Challengers Bangalore had a promising start, winning 7 out of their first 13 games and accumulating 14 points. However, their hopes of securing a spot in the IPL 2023 playoffs depended on triumphing over Gujarat Titans in their last league game, which unfortunately eluded them.
Expressing his disappointment, Faf du Plessis shared his thoughts in a post-match video released by RCB on May 22, admitting, “I am extremely disheartened that our season concludes here. If we assess ourselves honestly, it is evident that we were not among the top-performing teams in the competition.”
The RCB skipper further discussed his team’s overall performance in IPL 2023, emphasizing, “Though we witnessed some exceptional individual performances throughout the season, collectively as a team, we did not demonstrate the prowess required to secure a semifinal spot.”
While the defeat still stung, Faf acknowledged the efforts put forth by the team during Sunday’s match, stating, “We gave it our all tonight, but unfortunately fell short. However, there were several positive aspects, such as the outstanding form of Maxi (Glenn Maxwell) this year and the consistent partnerships between myself and Virat (Kohli) – a 50-run partnership in almost every game, showcasing remarkable consistency.” Faf also praised the outstanding campaign of pacer Mohammed Siraj, saying, “Mohammed Siraj had a fantastic campaign, highlighting some exceptionally high points for us.”
Royal Challengers Bangalore had set a formidable target of 197-5 against Gujarat Titans, courtesy of an impressive century by star batsman Virat Kohli. Nonetheless, they were unable to defend the total as GT’s Shubman Gill also smashed a hundred, leading his team to chase down the target in 19.1 overs.