Faf du Plessis (ANI photo) NEW DELHI: Delhi Capitals head coach Hemang Badani has commented on the franchise’s bold decision to release Faf du Plessis, calling it one of the toughest challenges 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 coming to DC last season.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!“It is never easy to release a player of the caliber of Faf du Plessis. It was a really tough decision to let him go because he has been a star player in the IPL for many years,” Badani said during the TATA IPL Retention show on Jiostar.
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Badani revealed that DC’s shift towards a younger, more explosive bat profile played a crucial role. “We felt it was time to go for a younger option, someone who could bring a more aggressive style that suits the brand of cricket we want to play.”He also explained the reasons for breaking 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 million we didn’t feel like we got enough value out of that investment. So we felt it was best to let him go as well,” Badani said, adding that DC are “pretty happy” with their current squad.Former India captain Anil Kumble, meanwhile, feels that Delhi need to urgently finalize their top-order combination. “They absolutely need to lock down 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 in need of significant middle-order and bowling reinforcements and suggested David Miller as a potential fit alongside Heinrich Klaasen.The IPL auction will be held on December 16 in Abu Dhabi.
