"You don't try and compete; the ego is where peacocks generally clash" - Faf du Plessis on the challenge of leading Virat Kohli at RCB

Veteran South African batter Faf du Plessis recently claimed that he hasn’t found leading Virat Kohli in the Indian Premier League (IPL) difficult since there are no ego clashes between the two stars. The former Proteas skipper asserted that he believes in building relationships rather than outshining teammates.

Du Plessis was named captain of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) franchise ahead of the IPL 2022 season, right after Kohli stepped down from the post. While Bangalore could not end their hunt for the elusive title under Du Plessis, they reached the playoffs yet again.

In an interaction on The Grade Cricketer’s YouTube channel, the South African cricketer was asked about the challenge of leading a superstar like Kohli in the IPL. Explaining how he went about things, the 38-year-old said:

“He’s a much bigger offer than me. You don’t try and compete. The ego is the thing where peacocks generally clash. Then like the feathers come out and you want to see who has got the shiniest in the room. Luckily, I get that about people and relationships.

“I don’t try and outshine someone else in the dressing room. I try and build a relationship. With Virat, that was exactly my point of entry.”

While the RCB skipper scored 468 runs in 16 matches at an average of 31.20 and a strike rate of 127.52, Kohli had a poor IPL 2022 season by his standards. He managed only 341 runs at an average of 22.73 and a strike rate of 115.99.

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“How does this guy have so much energy?” - Faf du Plessis amazed with Kohli’s passion

While discussing the former Indian captain, Du Plessis also expressed amazement at the kind of passion and energy he brings into the game. Hailing the 34-year-old's commitment, Du Plessis said:

“I had played against him for so long. He is one of the most competitive guys in the world of cricket to play against. You sit there and you go - how does this guy have so much energy?

"Every single time a wicket falls, doesn’t matter if it’s a No.11 or an opening batter, his passion for celebration is like you just have to go, ‘I’ll take my hats off to you’. He’s superhuman.”

Du Plessis added that he has now seen the gentler side of the Indian batter as well. He said:

“When you play with him, you see there is the other side, which is this caring guy that just wants to play cricket, and actually a really family guy. He’s amazing.”

Both Du Plessis and Kohli have been retained by RCB ahead of the IPL 2023 auction, which is scheduled to take place in Kochi on December 23.