IPL 2021: Faf du Plessis reveals the reason behind his peculiar batting stance

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter Faf du Plessis has revealed the story behind his unorthodox batting stance.

Faf du Plessis recalled trying to emulate South African legend Herschelle Gibbs as a youngster which led to his peculiar bat 'tapping' before every delivery.

The former Proteas skipper admitted that his backlift was too high but asserted that the second 'tap' ensures that the bat comes straight in the line of the ball.

"I remember back in the day I tried to bat a little like Herschelle Gibbs. He had a lot of those taps and I batted like that to a degree. Then, I remember going to England and I found out that I was moving around too much with my head so I just stood still and did one tap and that's where my technique is now. It's obviously quite high (his backlift) but it's all about rhythm for me, the feeling of the bat going up and tapping it. But that second tap, it comes back to a decent position so the bat can come through straight," Faf du Plessis told Star Sports.

Faf du Plessis v Sunil Narine in all T20 Cricket:28 balls16 runs1 wicketStrike rate: 57.14#IPL2021 #KKRvCSK

— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) April 21, 2021

When asked to describe his batting technique in one phrase, Faf du Plessis hilariously likened it to "Wood Chopping."

"We now know what to expect from the Wankhede pitch" - Faf du Plessis

Faf du Plessis (L) and Ruturaj Gaikwad. (PC: IPL)

Faf du Plessis's comments were recorded before his team's ongoing encounter against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Previewing the game at the Wankhade Stadium, Faf du Plessis exuded confidence in the playing XI for the night.

He added that CSK is now well-acquainted with the atypical 'slow' pitch which suits their style.

"It's really good to get some wins under your belt as a team. We have got a really balanced side, we are playing a really strong team tonight. And the nice thing is we have got a bit of momentum here at Wankhade, we have played a few games here so we now know what to expect from the pitch. Even the previous game you could see it suited our style of play pretty well with the ball gripping and turning a little bit. Chennai has always been a team that's really strong on slow surfaces," concluded Faf du Plessis.

KKR won the toss and decided to bowl first in Mumbai. Both Faf du Plessis and Ruturaj Gaikwad stood solid at the end of the powerplay, with the team's score reading 54-0.

SuperPower Play! Faf x Rutu 🤜🤛 Ƽ0 #KKRvCSK #WhistlePodu #Yellove 🦁💛

— Chennai Super Kings - Mask P😷du Whistle P🥳du! (@ChennaiIPL) April 21, 2021