IPL 2024: The googly which left the entire RCB squad clean bowled
Entire squad failed to answer a question on which current RCB player was the first to take two consecutive 5-wicket hauls in T20s
image for illustrative purpose
As the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team geared up for their first home match against Punjab Kings on March 23, the team meeting on the eve of the match posed a googly, which left every squad member bewildered.
The question posed to the entire squad, on RCB Bold Diaries, was - Which current RCB player was the first to take two consecutive 5-wicket hauls in T20s?
While Virat Kohli answered it could be Lockie Ferguson, Glenn Maxwell and Ferguson thought it was Karn Sharma. Indian fast bowling sensation Mohammed Siraj answered Wanindu Hasaranga, while Akash Deep said it could be Harshal Patel and Mahipal Lomror thought it was Siraj himself.
With none of the answers right, Rajat Patidar thought for a while and asked whether it could be Adam Zampa, while some players thought it could be Anil Kumble or Yuzvendra Chahal. Dinesh Karthik mulled over Himanshu Sharma before the entire squad were left wondering as to who it could be.
When it was skipper Faf du Plessis’s turn, he enquired whether it was in domestic or international cricket before taking his own name as the answer.
The answer was indeed du Plessis, who had achieved the feat early in his career - in 2011 and 2012 - when he picked up two consecutive five-wicket hauls. Bowling leg spin, the RCB skipper picked up 5/19 and 5/28 in one of South Africa’s domestic tournaments.
In fact, du Plessis’ second five-wicket haul accounted for big names in the South African international cricketing fraternity. Du Plessis took the wickets of Quinton de Kock, Neil McKenzie, Dwaine Pretorius, Chris Morris and Thami Tsolekile in his second five-wicket haul, proving that it wasn’t by luck that he had registered those figures.
The answer bowled every RCB squad member who were left wondering as to when and how Du Plessis managed to achieve the feat. Kohli looked surprised while Karthik quipped, “Faf, I never expected you to do that!”
Maxwell looked at the funny side of it and said, “I can’t believe he is not bowling now, and making the rest of us try and bowl.”
The RCB has an impressive T20 bowling record too. He has taken 50 T20 wickets at an average of 18.34 and an economy-rate of 6.96, which would make the best of the bowlers take notice.
Will Faf du Plessis roll his arm in any of the games this season? The only thing we can do is wait and watch.
