IPL news: Faf du Plessis named as Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper

Former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis has been named skipper of the Royal Challengers Bangalore for the next edition of the IPL.

Du Plessis has been named as the successor to Virat Kohli who led the team since 2013 but stepped down during the 2021 campaign.

It is the first time that the erstwhile South Africa captain has been entrusted with leadership responsibilities by an IPL team.

“I couldn’t be happier to pass on the baton to a good friend, someone I’ve known over the years,” Kohli said as quoted by ESPN Cricinfo.

“We’ve been in touch for many years now. He’s one of the few guys I’ve gotten to know a little bit more apart from the cricket. My partnership with Faf is going to be exciting. The squad we’ve put together is amazing. Our team looks balanced and strong, and I can’t wait to get started.”

Australian star Glenn Maxwell and veteran wicketkeeper and former KKR skipper Dinesh Karthik, were among the other candidates in the mix for the role.

Du Plessis will look to Kohli, Maxwell and Karthik among other team leaders for help and guidance in this new role.

He says he looks forward to building a culture at RCB.

“Coming in as an outsider, I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity,” du Plessis said from Bengaluru.

“It’s no small thing to trust an outsider, an overseas player to do the job as a leader.

“My style in doing that is not going to be ‘my way’. I will rely heavily on the amazing experience of our domestic and international players.

“Having been a leader for a while, I’ve been on the journey for creating a culture, it’s close to my heart.

“First and foremost, my style will be a relational style.

“To connect with players and start to get to know everyone.

“The first part of my journey would be to build