Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) got knocked out of IPL 2023 on Sunday (May 21) after they lost to Gujarat Titans in the final league game. It was a must-win game for them in order to qualify for the playoffs but Shubman Gill's stunning ton led to GT chasing 198 runs with utter ease in the end. RCB had qualified for the playoffs for three consecutive seasons and the streak finally ended this season. Even though the team lost, the opening duo of Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis created an all-time record in the Indian Premier League.
The duo added 61 runs for the opening wicket against GT before Faf du Plessis got out in the 8th over. This was their 8th 50-plus partnership this season, the most for any pair in the history of IPL in a single IPL edition. Virat Kohli features again in this list for stitching 7 fifty-plus partnerships with AB de Villiers in IPL 2016.
Interestingly, Faf du Plessis is also joint-second in this list having added 50-plus scores on 7 occasions with Ruturaj Gaikwad in IPL 2021 when he was with Chennai Super Kings. The old Sunrisers Hyderabad pair of David Warner and Jonny Bairstow also did it seven times back in IPL 2019.
This season also turned out to be the best for both RCB openers, Du Plessis and Kohli. Both of them ended in the top five run-scorers list in IPL 2023. While Du Plessis is at the top with 730 runs in 14 matches, Kohli smacked six fifties and two centuries to smash 639 runs and end third. However, there is every chance for Shubman Gill to win the Orange Cap as he has amassed 680 in 14 matches and is at the second place. Devon Conway is the only other player who will be featuring in the playoffs. He has scored 585 runs and is at the fifth place.
