Faf du Plessis has been appointed captain of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) ahead of the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the franchise announced during a press conference at the RCB Bar & Cafe on Saturday.

RCB bid Rs 7 crore for du Plessis, who was with the defending champion Chennai Super Kings (CSK) until last year, during the auction. The South African right-hander was pivotal in CSK’s title victory in 2021 – racking up 633 runs – to finish the second-highest run-getter. du Plessis was also the leading run-scorer for Chennai in IPL 2020.

“The opportunity to be the captain of a franchise like RCB is massive and a role I was glad to accept. The work is just going to begin as we try to build off the success the team has enjoyed in previous years. I would like to thank RCB  management and the coaching team for entrusting me with the role and I will do my best to ensure a successful season this time with the desired outcome,” du Plessis said after being unveiled as the Bangalore skipper.

The 37-year-old made his IPL debut in 2012 with CSK and had been with the side since. In 2016 and 2017, du Plessis turned out for Rising Pune Supergiant following CSK’s two-year ban from the league.

With 100 matches and 2935 runs in the IPL, du Plessis’ class and experience will be crucial for his team in 2022.

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Although du Plessis is signing up for a leadership role in the IPL for the first time, he has led his national side to success on multiple occasions in the limited-overs format between 2012-19, recording a 63.51 per cent success rate in Twenty20 Internationals.

Speaking about du Plessis’ appointment, Mike Hesson, RCB’s director of cricket operations said: “Faf is not only a world class player, he has also shown tremendous ability to lead on the international stage in all three formats of the game. His contribution on the field is eminent but a leader who leads by example is very inspiring to any team. His experience and inclusive style of leadership will certainly be crucial in maximizing the knowledge from all of the leaders within our RCB squad.”

He takes over from Virat Kohli, who stepped down as RCB captain after the last edition. The news came three days after Kohli had announced that he would be giving up the captaincy of India’s T20I team at the end of the World Cup in October-November. Kohli became the regular captain at Royal Challengers in 2013; he has been a part of the franchise as a player since the inception of the IPL in 2008.

Under Kohli, RCB won 64 of its 140 matches while losing 69.