I was contemplating about retiring out to get Dinesh Karthik in: Faf du Plessis

A massive win in our #GoGreen game, and the team enjoyed the victory song in symphony inside the dressing room. We spoke to Faf, the coaches and Wanindu on the fantastic win that made our playoff hopes stronger.#PlayBold #WeAreChallengers #IPL2022 #Mission2022 #RCB #ನಮ್ಮRCB pic.twitter.com/1Ko3TeSaTw

— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) May 9, 2022

Du Plessis slammed eight boundaries and two sixes en route to his third fifty this season and seized the initiative after he lost his opening partner Virat Kohli. The South African veteran along with Rajat Patidar (48 in 38 balls; 4×4, 2×6) laid a solid foundation with a 105-run second-wicket partnership off 73 balls. But Hyderabad bowlers slowed things a bit in the middle overs before Dinesh Karthik (eight-ball 30 not out) gave a last-over flourish (25 runs) to prop up the total.

During the post-match presentation, RCB skipper admitted that he was tired and at one point he was contemplating about retiring himself out to get Dinesh Karthik in.

RuPay On-The-Go 4s of the Match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore is Faf du Plessis.#TATAIPL @RuPay_npci #RuPayOnTheGoFours #SRHvRCB pic.twitter.com/rAzlC2xwLS

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 8, 2022

“If he (Dinesh Karthik) is hitting sixes like that, we want to get him in and bat as long as possible. He’s just so clear. To be honest, I was actually trying to get out because I was so tired, to get DK in,” said Faf.

Our Skipper was extremely impressed with our batting effort and is confident we’re growing from strength to strength with each game. 👊🏻#PlayBold #WeAreChallengers #IPL2022 #Mission2022 #RCB #ನಮ್ಮRCB pic.twitter.com/cI9mGcdXq3

— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) May 9, 2022

When Harsha Bhogle asked, ‘were you contemplating ‘retiring out’? The RCB skipper replied: “Retiring out, yes. “But then we lost that wicket. Yeah, DK is in such good form. But it was a tricky wicket. It wasn’t one of those wickets where you could just come in – I think it was not evident with DK but with other guys, the first few balls, they struggled. And then lucky for us, I think there was a dropped catch off DK in that one over and then he took them apart.”

Making full use of a reprieve by Rahul Tripathi in the third ball of the final over, the Indian experienced wicketkeeper-batter went on to make a quickfire eight-ball 30 not out.

He smashed four sixes, three of them coming in succession followed by a boundary in the last over against Afghanistan debutant Fazalhaq Farooqi, en route to his entertaining cameo.

Last month, during a match against Lucknow Super Giant, Rajasthan Royals’ R Ashwin decided to retire out, a first in the IPL.

With ten deliveries to go in the RR innings, R Ashwin, on 28 from 23 deliveries, walked off the field and continued onto the Wankhede dressing room steps. No. 7 Riyan Parag took his place; he faced four deliveries and scored eight, including one six. Ashwin’s masterstroke move helped Rajasthan to a three-run win over LSG