IPL 2022: 'Small skinny guy' Shahbaz Ahmed can smash it long way, warns RCB skipper Faf du Plessis

Shahbaz Ahmed of Royal Challengers Bangalore in action during match 13 of the Indian Premier League 2022 cricket tournament between the Rajasthan Royals and the Royal Challengers Bangalore, at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Pic/PTI

Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Faf du Plessis hailed Shahbaz Ahmed after the all-rounder played a vital part in defeating Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2022 on Tuesday.

Match-defining knocks from Dinesh Karthik (44') and Shahbaz Ahmed (45) powered RCB to a memorable victory as they chased down the target of 170 in a high-octane clash at the Wankhede Stadium.

In the post-match presentation, Faf said: "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.

RCB skipper also hailed his wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik: "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, upto the 18th over and then Jos got some good shots. Got a score that we thought was a bit above-par with the conditions and the surface spinning a bit. 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," the South African added while talking about the team's performance in the match.

Chasing 170, 28 runs were required off the final three overs, Shahbaz Ahmed smacked a four and six each against Boult before he was cleaned up by the left-arm pacer.

The equation was down to 15 off the final two overs as Dinesh Karthik wrapped the chase in style and remained unbeaten on 44 off 23 deliveries while Harshal Patel hit the final six to take RCB home.

RCB will next clash with Mumbai Indians on Saturday at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.

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