IPL 2022: Faf du Plessis praises RCB all-rounder, 'He'll play a long part this season'

Faf du Plessis has heaped praise on Shahbaz Ahmed, saying the bowling all-rounder will play a "long part this season" for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

Du Plessis' comments came after Ahmed, along with Dinesh Karthik, helped RCB defeat Rajasthan Royals (RR) by four wickets in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Tuesday. RR put up a defendable total of 169 runs in the first innings but some glaring blunders from Sanju Samson and his bowlers allowed Ahmed and Karthik to snatch the victory away.

At 87 for 5, Karthik joined Ahmed at the crease and from there, RCB needed 83 runs more off just 45 deliveries.

"To pull it out of nowhere, you need some great characters and DK is as great a character as you can get. His composure under pressure is amazing. He is really calm and such a great asset to us. We bowled really well, up to the 18th over and then Jos [Buttler] got some good shots. They got a score which we thought was a bit above-par with the conditions and the surface spinning a bit," RCB captain du Plessis said at the post-match interview.

"We started quite well though, but then Yuzi (Chahal) bowled really well to get them back in. But for me, the great thing about today once again was our ability to come back to win games out of nowhere," added the Proteas cricketer.

IPL 2022: Virat is 'up there', says Faf du Plessis

Meanwhile, du Plessis also assured RCB fans that former captain Virat Kohli is "up there", in terms of fitness.

"People think that since he (Shahbaz) is a small skinny guy, he can't hit it long but he can smash it a long way. We didn't bowl him today because of the wet ball and left-hander being around but he'll definitely play a long part in this season. Virat is up there (in terms of fitness), I'll tell that for his fans," said du Plessis.

While Ahmed got out in the 18th over after scoring a crucial 26-ball 45, Karthik, the Player of the Match, remained unbeaten on 44 off 33 deliveries. He struck seven fours and a six. Ahmed had hit three sixes and four boundaries.

Harshal Patel, who had a brilliant day with the ball, finishing with figures of 1 for 18, hammered a six to seal the victory for RCB in Pune on Tuesday. Harshal bagged the vital wicket of his former RCB teammate Devdutt Padikkal, who was looking dangerous. Padikkal walked back after scoring 37 off 29 balls, including two fours and as many sixes.

"Like I always say, winning the game for the team and crossing the line is the reason why I play the game and this was one of those occasions. I had my plans when we came into the game to bowl the hard length and not a lot of slower balls as it is a very good wicket here but it turned out to be completely different, it is all about assessing and adapting to the conditions. At the top of my mark, I am pretty sure what I want to bowl and my field placements are where I want the batter to hit me. There are certain things you can do and certain things you can't do (when the batter moves around and premeditates)," said Harshal after RCB's victory.

RCB have a two-day break before they face off against Mumbai Indians (MI) on Saturday (April 9). RR's next game is against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Sunday.