"He is the only non-international active player whose stature has not gone down at all" - Aakash Chopra on Faf du Plessis as RCB skipper in IPL 2023

Aakash Chopra feels the Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) appointment of Faf du Plessis as their skipper was an excellent call by the franchise.

Du Plessis took over from Virat Kohli as the Bangalore-based franchise's skipper in IPL 2022. He led the three-time finalists to a third-place finish last year and will hope to take them to their maiden title this time around.

While reflecting on the Royal Challengers Bangalore squad heading into IPL 2023, Chopra cast his vote in favor of their decision to appoint Faf du Plessis as their captain last year, saying:

"This team has now got the habit of making the playoffs. They are doing extremely well for the last two-three years because their selections have been very good. They chose a solid captain, went after Faf du Plessis. He is the only non-international active player whose stature has not gone down at all."

The former Indian opener reckons the South African veteran was the perfect pick to replace Virat Kohli as RCB skipper, reasoning:

"They went with the thinking that they need a captain who commands respect. He is that type of player who keeps the team ahead of himself. It was not easy to find a captain when Kohli gave up captaincy. It is not easy at all to find a captain for a team that already has a slightly alpha-male culture."

Du Plessis, who was previously with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), was bought by RCB for ₹7 crore at the IPL 2022 auction. Apart from showcasing his leadership skills, the opening batter, with 468 runs to his name, was also the franchise's highest run-scorer last year.

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"The middle order has started coming to the party" - Aakash Chopra picks the key to RCB's success

Shahbaz Ahmed and Dinesh Karthik played crucial knocks for RCB in IPL 2022. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Aakash Chopra attributed the Royal Challengers Bangalore's consistent run over the last few years to their firing middle order, observing:

"When I see the overall team, I find it good. In the last two-three years, the success they got is because the middle order has started coming to the party - whether it is Glenn Maxwell, Rajat Patidar or Dinesh Karthik the finisher."

The cricketer-turned-commentator concluded by opining that RCB's middle-order performances will determine their fortunes in the tournament, stating:

"If Maxwell, Patidar, Karthik, Mahipal Lomror and Shahbaz Ahmed do well, this team will do well this year as well. I don't think it would matter what happens at the top. It will be a thumbs up if Faf and Kohli have a very good season."

The Royal Challengers Bangalore qualified for the playoffs last year despite Virat Kohli enduring a below-par season. The likes of Rajat Patidar, Dinesh Karthik, Shahbaz Ahmed and Mahipal Lomror rose to the occasion in crunch moments and made telling contributions to their team's success.