Published 08:38 IST, April 19th 2020
IPL in limbo, Faf Du Plessis issues fervent appeal on MS Dhoni's criticality for CSK
South Africa's Faf du Plessis is no stranger when it comes to playing alongside Captain Cool MS Dhoni, especially after having played under 'Thala' for CSK
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South Africa's Faf du Plessis is no stranger when it comes to playing alongside Captain Cool MS Dhoni, especially after having played under 'Thala' for the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL. A skipper himself, du Plessis did not shy away from hailing MS Dhoni's 'strong leadership' style and revealed what it meant for CSK to be on the field without the ringmaster. An integral part of one of the most consistent sides in the IPL, Faf du Plessis revealed what it was like to play under another captain being one himself and more as he joined CSK live on Instagram on Saturday.
"When MS walks off the field..."
Talking about the Dhoni-impact on CSK, Faf du Plessis revealed the team would never be the same if MS Dhoni walked off the field. Hailing Captain Cool's leadership style, du Plessis admitted that Dhoni's absence in CSK would leave a massive hole in the side. Further, being a skipper himself, Faf admitted that it was important to understand there was only one skipper in the side. For a side like CSK that has players who are skippers as well, Faf said that it was tough for those who wanted to run the show to play under the skipper's wings.
Raina hails Dhoni's leadership
Dhoni has been at the helm of CSK affairs since the inception of IPL in 2008 and led the side to three titles and five runners-up finishes while the team has qualified for play-offs in all the 10 seasons it has participated. The 33-year-old Raina, a key player for CSK and the second most prolific batsman in IPL with 5,368 runs, said he improved over the years because he got to play with so many left-handers including Matthew Hayden, Michael Hussey and Stephen Fleming, among others. "I improved over the years playing for CSK I got to play with so many quality left-handers-(Mathew Hayden), (Michael) Hussey, (Stephen) Fleming, Albie (Morkel), Kepler Wessels (CSK coach in 2008), Ravindra Jadeja," Raina said.
Updated 08:38 IST, April 19th 2020