The newly appointed Royal Challengers Bangalore captain said he is fortunate to have played under some influential leaders in the past and he will seek to develop his own style of captaincy in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022.
Faf du Plessis took over as RCB captain, replacing Virat Kohli, who stepped down from his role at the end of last season. The South African batter had spent nearly a decade with Chennai Super Kings before being bought by RCB for Rs 7 crore at the IPL 2022 Mega Auction.
Speaking to the IPL on Friday, Faf du Plessis said he has a unique opportunity to work under MS Dhoni and observe up close how he has successfully managed Chennai Super Kings over the years.
Dhoni resigned as CSK captain on Wednesday, handing the baton to Ravindra Jadeja, who will lead the four-time champion’s title defense in the 2022 IPL, which begins on March 26 in Mumbai.
“I’ve played under some very good leaders. Graeme Smith was one, he had some strong qualities as a leader that really stood out.
“And then when I moved to Chennai, I was very fortunate to have played MS Dhoni for a very long time. I could see exactly how his brain works, how things work underneath him, which was very lucky for me.
“Even Stephen Fleming. He was a very good leader at international level and is now an established coach,” said du Plessis.
PRAISE FOR KOHLI
There will be significant pressure on du Plessis as he takes over one of RCB’s most followed franchises. Kohli was an influential leader, but the former India captain failed to win the elusive title during his tenure at the helm.
Du Plessis reiterated his captaincy will be a collaborative approach and he will always seek the support of leaders in the group including Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell and new recruit Dinesh Karthik.
“Every captain has his strengths. The icing on the cake for me was through my time, I was able to look at these leaders and see their strengths and also find my own way. I think it’s very important to be who you are and complement the things you’ve learned from others with your captaincy.
“I’m lucky to have a group of leaders on the team. Virat has been his country’s captain for an extremely long time. He was a very good leader for Indian cricket and for RCB. This experience, wisdom and knowledge that comes with it is second to none.
“Then there’s Glenn Maxwell, he’s led a lot in T20 cricket and the same goes for Dinesh Karthik who has cited that I’m the kind of leader who relies on a lot of people. I’m going to tie them to me to make sure we use all that information,” he added.
RCB will kick off its IPL 2022 campaign in Mumbai on Sunday, a day after the opening match between CSK and Kolkata Knight Riders against the Punjab Kings.
