By Karan Agrawal 
Delhi Capitals have appointed former South African batter Faf du Plessis as the team’s vice-captain for the upcoming IPL season. In a video put out by the franchise on social media, Faf can be seen walking in the Arun Jaitley stadium while talking on the phone. “Hello. I am good, man. How are you? I am at home. Where else will I be? Yes, that’s true. I am vice-captain of DC, and I’m very excited. Delhi has been great, the boys have been fantastic. Definitely feel happy, and I feel ready,” Faf du Plessis said. “Pick up your phones; it’s your vice-captain calling,” Delhi Capitals wrote in the caption.
The Decision
Faf’s appointment comes as a surprise as it was being speculated that KL Rahul who declined Delhi’s captaincy would at least be appointed as the vice-captain of the side given the fact that Faf’s spot in the playing XI was uncertain before the English batter Harry Brook decided to pull out of this year’s IPL season which might have prompted Faf’s appointment. Brook who was picked up by Delhi Capitals for 6.25 crore in the mega auction held in Saudi Arabia will skip the second consecutive IPL season having done so in 2024. If we talk about Harry Brook’s performance in the only IPL season that he has featured in so far the right-hander was able to score 190 runs in 11 innings which included a century against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
The Performance
Delhi Capitals bought Faf du Plessis for INR 2 Crore after he was not retained by RCB before the mega auction held in November last year despite him guiding them into the playoffs after what was looking like an impossible task for the franchise given the start that RCB had to the previous season. The former South African captain has accumulated 438,730 and 468 runs respectively in the previous three IPL seasons. Faf du Plessis will be Axar Patel’s deputy who was appointed as the captain of DC a few days ago. “It is my absolute honour to captain the Delhi Capitals, and I’m deeply grateful to our owners and support staff for placing their faith in me,” Axar said after the appointment.