[In Picture] SA T20 League: Joburg Super Kings releases special logo, officially announce Faf du Plessis captain and Stephen Fleming as coach

Joburg Super Kings (JSK) on Thursday (September 1) officially announced Faf du Plessis as their captain, named Stephen Fleming as head coach of their team. They also unveiled a new logo for the brand new franchise based in Johannesburg in the upcoming South African T20 league.

The brand new logo was also revealed via a special YouTube video featuring Faf, Fleming, former South Africa captain Graeme Smith, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) CEO Kasi Vishwanath, among others.

Faf du Plessis said he is excited to continue his relationship with the Chennai-based franchise. The current RCB skipper added that the upcoming T20 league will take South African cricket to new heights like the Indian Premier League (IPL) in India.

“I have an extremely lucky and long relationship with Chennai [at Joburg Super Kings]. When the opportunity presented itself again, I was extremely happy with that. I think it's going to be (the SA20 league) incredibly crucial for the sustainability of South African cricket.”

He added:

"I've almost been seeing first hand the difference that league cricket can have an impact on a country's cricket. Certainly been involved with the IPL for the last 10-11 years. You see the difference that it makes to the young generation and the young players, especially in that Indian cricket team and environment.”

Joburg Super Kings captain expresses gratitude for playing with Dhoni

The former South Africa captain expressed gratitude for playing alongside CSK skipper MS Dhoni and learning from him during his stint with the franchise. He said:

“To be around MS Dhoni, to just watch and observe exactly what he does on and off the field...I'm extremely grateful to have learned from so many great players and leaders in the game. In terms of leadership, MS Dhoni has done the most. He's the best guy to learn from.”

Du Plessis was part of CSK when they won the 2018 and 2021 IPL titles.

Meanwhile, Joburg Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming recalled CSK becoming the Champions League champions in South Africa in 2010. He called South Africa's passion for cricket unmatchable.

“My last memory of being at the Wanderers was with Chennai (Super Kings), winning the Champions League. I remember it very fondly, it's a wonderful ground."

He added:

“First thing I remember was the support that we got through South Africa, which was a surprise for all of us. It just shows the passion of the South African cricket fans to follow good cricket and we like to produce that. We're really hoping we can get good support from Johannesburg and around the country. That's a big part of what Chennai is about.”

Joburg Super Kings direct signings: Faf du Plessis, Moeen Ali (England), Maheesh Theekshana (Sri Lanka), Romario Shephard (West Indies) and Gerald Coetzee (South Africa).