Du Plessis recalls Dhoni’s removal as RPS captain

Faf du Plessis recalled the shock surrounding MS Dhoni’s removal as Rising Pune Supergiants captain after the 2016 IPL season, saying Steve Smith handled the difficult situation well and led the team to the final in his first season as skipper.

Speaking on Cricinfo’s show ‘Cricketers on Cricketers’, former South Africa skipper du Plessis said the decision to replace Dhoni, one of the most successful captains in the tournament’s history, left everyone surprised.

“MS Dhoni was removed as captain of Rising Pune Supergiants after the end of the 2016 IPL season, and that’s the biggest move you can make in a tournament of that stature. We hadn’t won a couple of games, and the owner at the time made the decision to change the captain. Everyone was shocked after that call,” du Plessis said.

“MS Dhoni as captain was gone, and Steve Smith was the new captain. That was pretty early on in his leadership career. He wasn’t experienced, but he did a good job.” Du Plessis said Smith faced a challenging situation with Dhoni continuing to be part of the team after losing the captaincy.