Faf Du Plessis – Very lucky to have played with leaders that I could learn from

As one of the greatest captains in the game of cricket, MS Dhoni has said that he is in the ‘final phase’ of his career while Du Plessis said that he is lucky to have earned from some influential leaders, including the likes of Graeme Smith, Stephen Fleming, and MS Dhoni.

As one of the greatest captains in the game of cricket, MS Dhoni has said that he is in the ‘final phase’ of his career. Although it is unknown if the captain of the Chennai Super Kings would participate in the Indian Premier League next season, fellow cricketers have been paying tribute to the “Thala.” 

Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Faf du Plessis, who played for the Chennai franchise for most of his IPL career, has nothing but admiration for the CSK captain in an exclusive interview with NDTV.

Du Plessis said that he is lucky to have earned from some influential leaders, including the likes of Graeme Smith, Stephen Fleming, and MS Dhoni.

“Very lucky to have played with leaders that I could learn from. When I was playing for South Africa, Graeme Smith was the captain there and then my first year moving to Chennai, I didn’t play one game that year but my sole purpose from the season was to learn. I would be sitting next to Stephen Fleming, asking him questions. A lot about leadership, more than he would’ve expected someone to ask,”

he said.

Faf’s first season with CSK didn’t give him a lot of playing time. While the South African was eager to pick Fleming’s brain, he also kept a close eye on Dhoni and how he managed his team.

“I was just observing MS from a distance. I was stealing from my eyes, my years about why he is so successful, what makes him so successful. Even at that stage, one of the most successful international and domestic captains in the world of cricket. It was a privilege to learn from someone like that. But I think also something that I picked up early on was the importance of being the leader that you are. I could never captain like MS or Virat or Graeme Smith or Stephen Fleming. I find my way but you can look at things and incorporate from other people,” .

he revealed.

Du Plessis also revealed the ‘biggest one’ he learned from Dhoni which was keeping a cool head just like the former India captain did.

“Something that came from MS is how calm he is and I think that’s something that I have shown through my leadership as well. I am always trying to make sure that I am very clear with my players. You give your absolute best and move on. So, I think that will be the biggest one I picked from MS. He is called captain cool for a reason. There’s no greater guy to learn about being cool than MS Dhoni,”

he concluded.