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'Greatest Ever Captain': Faf du Plessis Lauds MS Dhoni Ahead Of CSK vs RCB IPL 2024 Opener

Faf du Plessis has played under MS Dhoni at CSK for nearly a decade (Twitter)Faf du Plessis has played under MS Dhoni at CSK for nearly a decade (Twitter)

Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season opener on March 22, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Faf du Plessis has openly expressed his deep admiration for the legendary skipper of Chennai Super Kings (CSK), MS Dhoni by shedding light on the huge influence the Indian stalwart has exerted on his cricketing career.

Before his current leadership role at RCB, Du Plessis was a vital figure at CSK, directly contributing to the team's success under Dhoni's captaincy. 

From 2012 to 2021, the South African opener was a mainstay in the CSK lineup, amassing over 2700 runs in 92 matches.


Du Plessis credits Dhoni for career growth, calls him 'big brother'

The transition to RCB came after CSK released Faf Du Plessis ahead of the 2022 mega auction, a move that saw RCB quickly snapping him up to fill the captaincy void left by Virat Kohli.

Speaking about his time at CSK and the impact of Dhoni's leadership, Du Plessis conveyed, through a recent interaction with Star Sports, how observing Dhoni and coach Stephen Fleming significantly moulded his approach to leadership.

"He (Dhoni) is the greatest ever captain, and I am very lucky that I have spent some time with him over the years. I think that's probably the biggest thing in my career, shaped me from a leadership perspective, were my years at Chennai, just observing MS and Stephen Fleming. As a young leader, it was special to my growth," said Du Plessis.

The South African cricketer attributed his development as a leader to the valuable years spent under their guidance, describing MS Dhoni as a "big brother" whose presence commands immense respect, yet evokes a competitive spirit on the field.

"As a leader that I am today. So I'm very grateful for MS and everything about his leadership because it really shaped me. When I see him, it's like a big brother that you see, you want to beat him but you don't really want to beat him because there's so much respect for that,” added the 39-year-old.

As the IPL 2024 season kicks off with the blockbuster CSK vs RCB match, Du Plessis looks forward to not only competing against but also paying homage to the cricketing giants, Dhoni and Virat Kohli, who have shaped the love and passion for their respective teams.

"But obviously when you get on the field, it's such a great match, the RCB-Chennai match, it goes back so much with the two icons, or two of the three icons of Indian cricket. I think the reason why Chennai is so loved and followed is MS Dhoni and the reason why RCB is so loved and passionate is because of Virat Kohli so it's special for me to have had time with both of them so I'm very lucky," concluded Du Plessis.

Meanwhile, Du Plessis has arrived in Bengaluru and is prepared to lead RCB to their first-ever title in what promises to be an electrifying start to the tournament.