The former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) skipper was released ahead of the IPL 2024 mega auction and later signed by DC for his base price of INR 2 crore (US$0.24 million).
Du Plessis was preferred over KL Rahul, another experienced IPL captain who also joined DC this year.
A veteran of the league, Du Plessis began his IPL journey in 2012 with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and remained with the team until 2015. During CSK’s two-year suspension, he played for Rising Pune Supergiant before returning to CSK in 2018 and staying until 2021.
RCB secured him in the 2022 auction, and following Virat Kohli’s resignation as captain, he was given leadership responsibilities. Under his captaincy, RCB reached the playoffs in 2022 and 2024 but continued their long-standing hunt for their first IPL title.
Now 40 years old, Du Plessis boasts an impressive IPL record, amassing 4,571 runs in 145 matches at an average of 35.99 and a strike rate of 136.37.
