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Former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis, who is leading Joburg Super Kings in the second season of SA20, spoke admiringly of the influence ex-India skipper MS Dhoni made on his captaincy and said he was fortunate to have played under captain cool's captaincy early in his career.
Faf du Plessis recalled the imbibing lessons he memorised as a cricketer while with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Addressing a press conference ahead of the second season of SA20, du Plessis stated that he spent the first season at CSK observing Dhoni and head coach Stephen Fleming, taking full use of the opportunity to ask questions and learn from them. Faf du Plessis was an important member of the Chennai Super Kings from 2011 until he left on a high note in 2021. Du Plessis' achievements extended beyond his hitting numbers; he played key roles in CSK's victories, particularly in the finals. In the 2021 IPL final, he scored 86 runs off 59 balls against Kolkata Knight Riders, earning him the Player of the Match title and assisting CSK in securing their fourth IPL crown. "Firstly, it was great to be part of that dressing room as a young guy. Probably 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. 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," Plessis said in a pre-tournament press ahead of the second season of SA20. The former South African captain also stated that he learned from observing Dhoni that it is impossible to mimic someone else's style, but one can rapidly understand what works and what does not for a captain. "Also, by playing under some great leaders, you also get to understand that it's really important to do things that work for you. It's not possible to copy different styles all the time," he added. Du Plessis praised Dhoni's ability to remain calm and controlled under pressure, noting that the higher the stakes, the calmer the captain needs to be. "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 more higher, you remain relaxed and it makes a big difference to the bowling attack, especially. Very lucky to have played under him," the former South African captain added. SA20 is the first T20 league outside India to have IPL owners of all six local franchises. Set to unfold from January 10 to February 10, this year, the tournament will feature a total of six teams -namely the Durban Super Giants, Joburg Super Kings, MI Cape Town, Paarl Royals, Sunrisers Eastern Cape, and Pretoria Capitals. Sunrisers Eastern Cape won the inaugural season, beating Pretoria Capitals in the final back in February this year. (ANI)
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