Faf du Plessis set to lead Johannesburg Super Kings; Stephen Fleming to head coaching unit

Faf du Plessis will lead the Johannesburg Super Kings team in the inaugural edition of the Cricket South Africa T20 League. The 38-year-old was roped in by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) Sports Limited for a price of $375,000.

This marks the second stint in yellow for the former South African captain after having been involved with the parent franchise in the past. He represented the four-time champions CSK in 100 matches before being released ahead of the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) season.

According to the rules, all six franchises can make five signings prior to the auction. The marquee list of 30 international players has been approved by the governing body. The teams will also have to include a local player as well as a local uncapped player in their preliminary core group of five players.

As part of their initial recruitment, the franchise have signed a couple of players who are associated with CSK in the IPL, namely Moeen Ali and Maheesh Theeksana for a sum of $400,000 and $200,000, respectively.

The England all-rounder is the third-most expensive player on the marquee list and it is to be noted that he has put his name in for the upcoming International League T20 in the UAE as well.

West Indies all-rounder Romario Shepherd was roped in for $175,000 while uncapped youth prospect Gerald Coetzee signed for $50,000 to complete the bracket. Each franchise has been handed a salary cap of $2 million to assemble their squad of up to 17 players.

Eric Simons to assist Stephen Fleming at Johannesburg Super Kings

Current Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming will take charge of the organization's sister franchise in their first-ever campaign. The former New Zealand captain will also have Eric Simons as his assistant.

The franchise are also close to striking a deal with former CSK all-rounder Albie Morkel to join the coaching staff. The 41-year-old represented the MS Dhoni-led side in 77 IPL matches, winning the title twice with them in 2010 and 2011.

Morkel previously served as the assistant coach of the Namibia cricket team that famously qualified for the group stage of the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE. The all-rounder was also roped in by the Bangladesh cricket team as a power-hitting coach for their tour of South Africa earlier this year.

How would you rate the signings made by the Johannesburg Super Kings? Let us know what you think in the comments.