Faf du Plessis will be the seventh skipper for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the history of the IPL, taking over from Virat Kohli.
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Faf du Plessis has been appointed as the new skipper of the Royal Challengers Bangalore heading into the IPL 2022. Du Plessis will take over as the captain from Virat Kohli, who led Royal Challengers Bangalore from IPL 2013 to 2021. The South African will become the seventh player in the history of the Royal Challengers Bangalore franchise to lead the team in the IPL. Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, Kevin Pietersen, Daniel Vettori, Shane Watson, and Kohli are the others who have led RCB from 2008 till 2021.
Kohli has been the captain of the Royal Challengers Bangalore side from 2013 till 2021. Under his captaincy, Royal Challengers Bangalore reached the final in IPL 2016 but they lost Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight runs. In all his remaining years, Kohli and RCB struggled for impact. In 2017 and 2019, RCB finished at the bottom of the table. During the 2020 and 2021 editions, RCB was eliminated in the Eliminator stage of the tournament. Royal Challengers Bangalore reached the second qualifier in IPL 2015 but they lost to Chennai Super Kings. Overall, Kohli captained RCB in 140 matches, winning 64 and losing 69 at a winning percentage of 48.
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Faf du Plessis’ career in the IPL is synonymous with his stint with the Chennai Super Kings franchise. He was selected in the 2011 side but did not play a game. Du Plessis became a regular member of the 2012 edition of the IPL. After Chennai Super Kings were banned for two years, du Plessis was part of the Rising Pune Supergiant under MS Dhoni and later, Steve Smith.
When Chennai Super Kings returned in 2018, du Plessis played a key role. He was one of the stars in the 2018 title run. But, he smashed a vital fifty opening the batting in 2021 final. Chennai Super Kings beat Kolkata Knight Riders for their fourth title. During the IPL 2022 Mega Auction, Faf du Plessis received a bid from Chennai Super Kings. He went until Rs 7 crore. But, having broken the bank for Deepak Chahar, Chennai Super Kings could not retain du Plessis. In the end, he was bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore.
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Under du Plessis, it will be a new era for RCB. Virat Kohli had stated in the 2021 edition that he would not be the captain in the T20s after the end of the ICC World T20 2021. The biggest regret for Kohli would be that RCB never won the title under his reign. In 2016, Kohli smashed a mammoth 973 runs in a single edition with four centuries. Despite his superhuman feat, RCB still fell short in the final against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Du Plessis, who has played 100 IPL matches, has an average of 34 and is nearing 3000 runs.
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Du Plessis has retired from Test cricket and has not played for South Africa since December 2020. With his international career all but over, du Plessis would be determined to help RCB break the jinx in IPL 2022. Royal Challengers Bangalore will open their IPL 2022 campaign against Punjab Kings at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on March 27.
