"Faf du Plessis has looked like a better leader than Virat Kohli" - Sanjay Manjrekar gives his verdict on RCB's IPL 2022 campaign

Former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar, reflecting on the Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) IPL 2022 season, opined that they did better than last year but should have gone all the way. He also stated that Faf du Plessis looked like a better captain than Virat Kohli.

RCB’s IPL 2022 campaign came to an end following their seven-wicket loss to the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the IPL 2022 Qualifier 2 in Ahmedabad on Friday. Batting first after losing the toss, Bangalore put up 157 for 8. Rajasthan chased the target with ease courtesy Jos Buttler’s blazing hundred.

Analyzing Bangalore’s performance in IPL 2022, Manjrekar said during a discussion on ESPNcricinfo:

“RCB have had a slightly better season. Some good things have happened. Faf du Plessis has looked like a better leader than Virat Kohli. But more is expected of them. Having come this far, they should have won. They’ll know exactly what has gone wrong and what has prevented them from going on to win gold instead of bronze.”

Chipping in with his views on RCB skipper Du Plessis, former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori backed him to continue as leader next season. He was particularly impressed by the South African cricketer’s utilization of his bowling resources. Vettori said:

“A lot of credit around the bowling unit has to go to Faf. That’s where we see the captaincy at its best. More often than not, he got it right. He started the season well with the bat but, like a lot of other players, he too had a split season. Still, he’s the right option to continue as captain according to me.”

Under Du Plessis, Bangalore finished fourth in the IPL 2022 points table, winning eight and losing six matches. RCB also won the Eliminator against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), which was an improvement as they had been ousted at this stage in the previous two seasons.

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Siraj going at almost 10 is something we never anticipated: Daniel Vettori on RCB pacer

According to Vettori, pacer Mohammed Siraj’s below-par performance in IPL 2022 hurt Bangalore's campaign in a big way. He explained:

“There were expectations around Siraj. Him going at almost 10 for the season is something that we never anticipated. He could have been a difference-maker if he had bowled like he did last season.”

28-year-old Siraj claimed nine wickets in 15 matches at an average of 57.11 and an economy rate of 10.08. He went for 31 runs in the two overs that he bowled on Friday and also created the unwanted record of conceding the most sixes (31) in an IPL season.