Former South African skipper Faf du Plesis opened up about how leading Virat Kohli in the Indian Premier League wasn’t difficult as there were no ego clashes between the two. Kohli stepped down from the captaincy post after completing the 2021-22 season of the IPL. Du Plessis took over the reins from Kohli and led them to the playoffs again.
In an interaction with the Grade Cricketer, he talked about leading Kohli:
“He’s a much bigger offer than me. You don’t try and compete. The ego is the thing where peacocks generally clash. Then like the feathers come out, and you want to see who has got the shiniest in the room. Luckily, I get that about people and relationships. I don’t try and outshine someone else in the dressing room. I try and build a relationship. With Virat, that was exactly my point of entry.”
Both players didn’t have the best of seasons with the bat last time. Faf du Plessis scored 468 runs in 16 matches at an average of 31.20 whereas Kohli scored only 341 runs at a strike rate of 115.99.
“He is one of the most competitive guys in the world of cricket to play against” – Faf du Plessis on Virat Kohli
He also opened up about the energy that a player like Kohli brings into a dressing room.
“I had played against him for so long. He is one of the most competitive guys in the world of cricket to play against. You sit there and you go – how does this guy have so much energy? Every single time a wicket falls, doesn’t matter if it’s a No.11 or an opening batter, his passion for celebration is like you just have to go, ‘I’ll take my hats off to you’. He’s superhuman.”
“When you play with him, you see there is the other side, which is this caring guy that just wants to play cricket, and actually a really family guy. He’s amazing,” he added.
Faf du Plessis has been retained by the franchise ahead of the auction this time.
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