Faf du Plessis, the former captain of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), has been appointed as Axar Patel’s vice-captain at Delhi Capitals (DC) for the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season.
Du Plessis, who was released by RCB ahead of the mega auction, was snapped up by DC for his base price of INR 2 crore (approximately US$0.24 million). His appointment as vice-captain comes over KL Rahul, another high-profile addition to the DC squad this season.
Pick up your phones, it’s your vice-captain calling 💙❤️ pic.twitter.com/W3AkYO4QKZ
— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) March 17, 2025
A Veteran of the IPL Circuit
The 40-year-old South African has been a mainstay in the IPL since making his debut in 2012 with Chennai Super Kings (CSK). He played for CSK until the franchise was suspended in 2016, then spent two seasons with Rising Pune Supergiant before returning to Chennai in 2018.
Du Plessis played a key role in CSK’s successful campaigns, including their 2021 title win. However, in 2022, he moved to RCB, where he was immediately handed the captaincy after Virat Kohli stepped down. He led the franchise for three seasons, guiding them to playoff appearances in 2022 and 2024, though the elusive IPL title remained out of reach.
In his IPL career spanning 145 matches, du Plessis has accumulated 4,571 runs at an impressive average of 35.99 and a strike rate of 136.37. He remains active on the T20 circuit, most recently featuring for Joburg Super Kings in the SA20 earlier this year. He could also be in demand for The Hundred, with Southern Brave—owned by DC’s parent company, GMR Group—reportedly interested in signing him.
DC’s Overhaul for IPL 2025
Delhi Capitals, still in search of their first IPL trophy, have undertaken a significant restructuring ahead of the 2025 season. This includes a revamped coaching setup with Hemang Badani as head coach, Matthew Mott as assistant coach, and Kevin Pietersen as team mentor. Former Indian cricketers Munaf Patel, Venugopal Rao, and Vijay Bharadwaj have also been added to the backroom staff.
The leadership changes extend beyond the coaching setup. Axar Patel has been named captain, replacing Rishabh Pant, who returned to the auction and was subsequently picked by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Pant has now taken over the captaincy at LSG, replacing KL Rahul, who has moved to DC but was overlooked for the leadership role.
What This Means for DC
The acquisition of du Plessis brings a wealth of leadership experience to Delhi, complementing Axar Patel’s rise as captain. With a new-look squad and management, DC will be hoping that these changes finally lead to their long-awaited maiden IPL title.
As the IPL 2025 season approaches, all eyes will be on how Delhi Capitals’ new leadership duo of Axar Patel and Faf du Plessis navigate the campaign and whether their shake-up in personnel translates to success on the field.
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