Media365
NEW DELHI: Delhi Capitals head coach Hemang Badani has opened up on the franchise’s bold decision to release Faf du Plessis, calling it one of the toughest calls ahead of the IPL mini-auction in Abu Dhabi. Du Plessis, who announced his retirement from the league on Monday, enjoyed a celebrated IPL career with Chennai Super Kings, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Rising Pune Supergiant before joining DC last season.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“It’s never easy to release a player of Faf du Plessis’ caliber. Letting him go was a really tough decision because he has been a stellar performer in the IPL for many years,” Badani said during the TATA IPL Retention show on Jiostar.Badani revealed that DC’s shift toward a younger, more explosive batting profile played a decisive role. “We felt it was time to move towards a younger option, someone who could bring a more aggressive style that fits the brand of cricket we want to play.”
He also explained the reasoning behind cutting ties with Jake Fraser-McGurk, one of last season’s brightest young performers. “We backed him based on how he played last year, but at nine crore, we didn’t feel we got enough value from that investment. So, we felt it was best to let him go as well,” Badani said, adding that DC are “quite pleased” with their current squad.Former India captain Anil Kumble, meanwhile, believes Delhi must urgently finalise their top-order combination. “They absolutely need to lock in their opening combination,” Kumble said. “Nitish Rana, KL Rahul, Karun Nair and Abhishek Porel give them strong Indian options, but consistency is key.”Kumble also pointed to Sunrisers Hyderabad as a team needing significant middle-order and bowling reinforcements, suggesting David Miller as a potential fit alongside Heinrich Klaasen.The IPL auction will take place on December 16 in Abu Dhabi.
