Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have explained their decision to release Faf du Plessis before the IPL mega auction held in Jeddah last month. Delhi Capitals subsequently secured du Plessis for Rs 2 crore.
RCB released a video detailing their rationale. Mo Bobat, RCB’s director of cricket operations, highlighted fan input.
“All of you voted (fans voted via pre-auction polls) for Faf du Plessis to open the batting.”
Du Plessis’s age was also a factor in the decision-making process. Dinesh Karthik, another key figure at RCB, emphasised the importance of a batter’s strike rate, particularly against spin in the initial six balls of an innings.
“We would want a foreign opener because, on the day they get going, they can score a hundred in 60, 50, or 40 balls, whatever it might be. Players like Jos Buttler and Phil Salt have done this time and time again.”
Karthik pointed out the scarcity of Indian openers with the desired power-hitting ability, contrasting this with the explosive potential of foreign openers.
“Among Indian players, I can only think of Ishan Kishan, who has done that to a limited degree. We know why we don’t want to go there (open with an Indian opener)—the power isn’t there.”
Bobat echoed Karthik’s sentiment, emphasising Phil Salt’s consistency and boundary-hitting prowess. He noted Salt’s remarkable statistic of scoring 15 or more runs in an over 35% of the time.
“Salt has achieved that consistently. If we aggregate everything, he emerges as the common denominator.”
Karthik further elaborated on Salt’s scoring patterns, underscoring his ability to consistently accumulate runs in boundaries. He provided specific statistical insights into Salt’s scoring frequency.
“My concurrence is that Phil Salt scores 6–8 runs in an over 28% of the time, and 12–15 runs in an over 30% of the time. In one out of four overs, he scores 16 or more runs, and in one out of two overs, he scores 12 or more.”
RCB’s preferred list of openers was revealed, highlighting their strategic considerations. The list included Phil Salt, Will Jacks, Rachin Ravindra, Jos Buttler, and Faf du Plessis.
The video concluded by explaining the final decision. Salt’s impressive statistics, dual role as a wicketkeeper, and his position in the auction order made him a compelling choice. RCB ultimately acquired Salt for Rs 11.5 crore.
“Salt, Jacks, and Faf were considered for the opening slot. Salt’s staggering numbers, dual skill of wicketkeeping, and auction order made him a priority option, and RCB ended up picking Salt for Rs 11.5 crore.” The video ended with a note.
Du Plessis, a 40-year-old right-handed opening batsman, has a rich IPL history. He has represented Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS), and RCB.
In his 145 IPL matches, Du Plessis has scored 4,571 runs at an average of 35.99. His strike rate exceeds 136, and his highest individual score is 96.
Since becoming RCB’s captain in 2022, Du Plessis has been a consistent performer. He amassed 1,636 runs at an average of 38.05 and a strike rate of nearly 147. He scored 15 half-centuries in 45 innings, with a high score of 96.
Du Plessis played a crucial role in RCB’s playoff qualification last season, contributing 438 runs at an average of 29.20 and a strike rate of 161.62. This included four half-centuries, with his highest score being 64.
Despite his valuable contributions, RCB chose not to retain Du Plessis for the IPL 2025 season. Instead, they retained Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, and Yash Dayal.