IPL 2022 | Dhoni should be leading for as long as he's with CSK: Faf du Plessis

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper Faf du Plessis said he was surprised over the mid-season captaincy transfer in the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) camp.

CSK all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja decided to step down as the CSK captain after a horrible start to the season with just two wins and six defeats in their first eight matches. The pressure of captaincy had also started affecting Jadeja’s game adversely. As a result, the ex-CSK skipper passed the baton to MS Dhoni ahead of their game against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Reacting to the captaincy saga at CSK this season, former CSK player Faf du Plessis, who is leading the Royal Challengers Bangalore this season, said Dhoni should be the captain for as long as he is in the team. The Protea said he was surprised when the change in captaincy happened mid-season but insisted the move was in the making.

“I’m surprised that the captaincy change happened mid-season, but I was also surprised at the way it happened the way before the season. So, it is like two surprises cancelling each other out. But, obviously, there’s no secret that when MS is there, and he is the captain, he does get the best out of the players, and that has been a big part of CSK’s success,” Faf du Plessis in a video posted by Bangalore.

Dhoni returned as a skipper and led CSK to a much-needed win over SRH on his comeback as the skipper to keep the four-time champions alive in the race for the playoffs this season. 

The RCB skipper said that the team was not at its best in the last three matches. He added that in the previous league game against Gujarat Titans, they played good cricket but could not seize the small moments. 

“Out of the last three games, two games, we were not at the best of our ability. And the last game, I think we played some really good cricket, but we were up against a team that seized the small moments. Usually, such moments generally falls to the team in good form.”

“Real small margins in the previous game. That’s the crucial thing about T20 cricket when you have momentum, keep it. When you start losing, it is about how quickly can you get it back,” du Plessis added.