Faf du Plessis may be among the most respected captains on the T20 global circuit, but the Joburg Super Kings SA 20 League skipper still appreciates his time spent with Chennai Super Kings leader MS ‘Mr Cool’ Dhoni.
Du Plessis spent virtually his entire Indian Premier League career under Dhoni before moving to Royal Challengers Bangalore two seasons ago.
"It was great to be part of that dressing room as a young guy. My biggest learning curve was being fortunate enough to be there under Stephen Fleming and MS Dhoni really at the start of my initial journey," Du Plessis said.
"Just to see the big guns do things, it was great to learn from them. During my first season, I was just sitting and asking questions and observing them to do things.
"MS is ‘Captain Cool’, as they call him. He is always very calm under pressure. So it's always important that under pressure or when the stakes are a bit higher, you remain relaxed and it makes a big difference to the bowling attack, especially. Very lucky to have played under him," he added.
Du Plessis, 39, is now hoping he can create a similar environment at JSK where the Wanderers-based side are looking to progress further than their semi-final finish in Betway SA20 Season 1.
“We have seen over the years at the IPL what a difference it makes to young guys. It is a big stepping stone for the future of South African cricket. Some of the guys weren’t even born yet when I started playing,” he said.
“So for me, the superstars we can get here are very important for the tournament. Guys that many of the young players would only have seen on TV.”
Having primarily been a T20 freelancer since the 2019 World Cup in England, experiencing various conditions all around the world, Du Plessis knows his team need to be adaptable in order to gain success.
It was particularly evident last season when the Wanderers surface produced a few surprises.
“I think last year we had a plan for our home ground and then it worked out entirely the opposite. We thought it would be the old Joburg with plenty of pace and bounce, and we set up our team accordingly, but when we arrived for our first game it was a ‘Bunsen Burner’”, he said.
“Then you have to adapt, and make some changes to your team, and then we ended up playing really well. To give yourself a chance, you have to play well at home. And the Bullring is up there with some of the best atmospheres in the world.”
There has been great speculation around Du Plessis’ personal future over the past couple of years with Proteas white-ball coach Rob Walter hinting that he may call up the veteran for the ICC T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and US later this year.
Du Plessis, who has only recently recovered from injury, remained coy about a possible Proteas return.
“It is first about getting back from injury, looking forward to playing cricket again,” he said.
“Obviously, the tournament is the most important thing, I just want to make sure I play good cricket. It is a great time for us to be still involved in the game. Then we’ll see what happens after that.”
@ZaahierAdams