Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) opener and current Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Faf du Plessis has expressed surprise at MS Dhoni being reappointed as captain of the Chennai franchise midway through the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022.
Dhoni took back the reigns from Ravindra Jadeja after CSK only managed two wins from the first eight matches. The franchise is currently at the ninth spot in the points table.
CSK defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by 13 runs on Dhoni’s return as the captain and now face RCB on Wednesday.
Surprised du Plessis, a long-time servant of CSK and who won two titles with the Dhoni-led franchise, said that playing against a team captained by the former India skipper will be a challenge for RCB.
“I am surprised that it’s happened in-season. I am also surprised that it happened the way that it did in the start of the season. So the two surprises almost canceling each other out,” Faf du Plessis told RCB in a video chat.
“So obviously, there is no secret there. I think when MS is there, when he is captain, he does get the best out of the players. That’s been a big part of CSK’s success. That’s a big challenge for us, we have to make sure that’s not a factor tomorrow (Wednesday).”
Sixth in the table with 10 points from 10 games, RCB are currently in need of consistent wins to make it to the playoffs and can’t afford to slip up against CSK.
RCB’s director of cricket operations, Mike Hesson, said that his side will be looking to apply pressure on CSK in the crucial encounter.
“We got some confidence out of the last game from things that we did a lot better. We just look for that little extra point of difference…Our middle-over bowling has been one of the best in the competition. We know their strengths. We are going to try and apply pressure in different ways,” Hesson said.
Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Find latest and upcoming tech gadgets online on Tech2 Gadgets. Get technology news, gadgets reviews & ratings. Popular gadgets including laptop, tablet and mobile specifications, features, prices, comparison.