3,000 IPL runs for Faf du Plessis: Decoding the numbers
What's the story
On Sunday, Faf du Plessis, who made his captaincy debut for the Royal Challengers Bangalore against Punjab Kings, entertained everyone with a sublime 88-run knock. The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 PBKS versus RCB encounter saw Punjab chase down a massive 206-run target. Faf's sensational knock went in vain but the former Chennai Super Kings stalwart slammed several records, including going past 3,000 runs.
Faf
Faf hammers 88 versus Punjab
Faf started cautiously before changing gears. The assurance of Virat Kohli from the other end helped the veteran batter to pace his innings well. Faf smashed from 57 balls, hitting three fours and seven sixes. He enjoyed a strike rate of 154.39. Notably, he shared a 50-run stand with fellow opener Anuj Rawat before stitching 118 runs alongside Kohli.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Faf impressed one and all with his valiant outings for CSK over the years. His best two seasons came in 2020 and 2021 respectively, scoring 449 and 633 runs respectively. Despite moving to a new side and then taking over as the captain, Faf showed he is an elite player. He played to his strengths and piled up a cracking score.
Records
3,000 IPL runs for Faf du Plessis
Faf has raced to 3,023 runs in the IPL at an average of 35.56. He became the 20th batter in the IPL to get past the 3,000-run mark. Faf is also now the joint-third-fastest to 3,000 IPL runs. He equaled David Warner's tally (94 innings). Chris Gayle (75 innings) and KL Rahul (80 innings) are the only two players with a better record.
Feats
Other notable feats achieved by Faf
Faf slammed his 23rd fifty in the IPL. He has a strike rate of 131.66. Interestingly, Faf also went past the mark of 100 sixes in the IPL (103). Faf has become the 10th player to get past 700 runs versus Punjab. He has 702 runs at 63.81. Faf slammed his eighth fifty against PBKS. He has also reached 25 sixes versus PBKS.