“People Were Unsure Whether that Would Work” – Tom Moody on RCB Appointing Faf du Plessis as Captain

RCB skipper Faf du Plessis has been brilliant as a leader for the Virat Kohli-starrer side for the last two IPL seasons. Former Australian cricketer Tom Moody praised Faf du Plessis for his brilliant captaincy and stated that a lot of people were unsure whether that would work.

Virat Kohli stepped down as RCB captain ahead of IPL 2022 after which the franchise picked Faf in the mega auction ahead of the tournament and then named him as their skipper. Moody claimed that Faf du Plessis has silenced his critics by leading Royal Challengers Bangalore in an exemplary manner.

“The investment in the leadership of Faf du Plessis (is an important takeaway). Two years ago, a lot of people were unsure whether that would work or how long that will last for. But Faf du Plessis has answered that very loud and clear. Not only is he at the top of his game at the age of 38, but his leadership is outstanding,” Tom Moody told ESPN Cricinfo.

Faf du Plessis set an incredible tempo from the time he walked to the crease: Tom Moody

“Faf scored at a regular strike rate throughout the whole season and really set an incredible tempo from the time he walked to the crease. Virat Kohli finished the season in unbelievable style with two great hundreds,” the former cricketer discussed Faf’s performance as RCB opener.

The rather inconsistent RCB side have shown great consistency right after Faf took over as the captain. They qualified for the playoffs in IPL 2022 and won the eliminator as well while this year they missed the qualification by the barest of margins.

Faf du Plessis aggregated 730 runs from 14 innings, including 8 half-centuries in IPL 2023 and had an exceptional strike rate of 153.68 to his name. The RCB skipper was clearly their stand out performer in this season of the cash-rich league.

The opening batter provided his team with a great platform by scoring runs at a brisk pace right throughout the IPL 2023. However, the RCB side couldn’t qualify for the playoffs as they heavily relied on a few players and didn’t get enough support from others leading to their downfall.