Faf du Plessis named as Axar Patel's vice-captain at Delhi Capitals

Faf du Plessis Appointed Axar Patel's Deputy at Delhi Capitals for IPL 2025

Faf du Plessis will serve as Axar Patel’s vice-captain at Delhi Capitals (DC) for the IPL 2025 season.

Previously leading Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) until the end of IPL 2024, Du Plessis was released by the franchise ahead of the mega auction and subsequently acquired by DC for his base price of INR 2 crore (US$0.24 million). He was preferred over KL Rahul, another experienced IPL captain who also joined DC this year.

A seasoned campaigner, Du Plessis, 40, has been a key figure in the IPL since 2012, starting with Chennai Super Kings (CSK). After stints with Rising Pune Supergiant and later CSK again, he moved to RCB in 2022, where he took over captaincy from Virat Kohli. Under his leadership, RCB reached the playoffs in 2022 and 2024 but are yet to secure an IPL title.

With 4571 runs in 145 IPL matches at an average of 35.99 and a strike rate of 136.37, Du Plessis remains a force in franchise cricket. He recently played in the SA20 for Joburg Super Kings and is reportedly in demand for the upcoming season of the Hundred, where Southern Brave—owned by DC’s parent company, GMR Group—are eyeing him.

DC, still in pursuit of their maiden IPL title, have undergone significant restructuring, including a revamped coaching setup. Hemang Badani has been appointed head coach, with Matthew Mott as assistant coach, Kevin Pietersen as team mentor, and Munaf Patel, Venugopal Rao, and Vijay Bharadwaj taking on key roles. Axar Patel’s elevation to a leadership role is part of this overhaul, following Rishabh Pant’s move to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), where he has been named captain.

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