Last Updated on 4 months by Charbel Coorey

Cricket News: Faf brings whole different dynamic to RCB – Rassie van der Dussen | Rassie speaks about Faf du Plessis’ impact at RCB

New Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Faf du Plessis has earnt praise from a fellow South African and IPL rival. Rassie van der Dussen, who was picked up by the Rajasthan Royals for IPL 2022, pinpointed RCB as a team to watch out for this season.

In an exclusive interview with CricBlog, van der Dussen said that the addition of Faf du Plessis has been a real positive for RCB in their quest to win their first title. He believes Faf is leading a balanced squad that will benefit even further from the addition of Glenn Maxwell for their upcoming match against Mumbai Indians and beyond.

“Faf adds a whole different dynamic to RCB,” said van der Dussen. “If you include Maxwell who is going to come in for them, they are a pretty solid all-round team. Last night [vs Royals] for example, they didn’t even use their sixth bowler, so they’re a team that looks pretty strong.”

The South Africa and Royals batsman also mentioned how challenging the playoffs race will be simply due to the amount of quality each team possesses. He pointed to how RCB took the game away from the Royals’ grasp on April 5, courtesy of some wonderful finishing.

“That’s the beauty of the IPL,” he said. “Every match has match-winners scattered throughout. It keeps you on edge; you can never count yourself in or out. Last night [April 5], we were in a very good position; eight out of 10 times you probably think we’re winning that match, but then Shahbaz and Dinesh Karthik came in and played those innings they played, and they ended up winning the match.”

The two new teams also look really balanced – Rassie van der Dussen

Rassie van der Dussen also pointed out the two new teams – Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants – as sides to watch out for this season. Both have made promising starts to life in the IPL, with excellent contributions from young and experienced players so far.

Van der Dussen also mentioned CSK, despite a poor start to the season where they lost their first three matches, as a team you can never write off this early.

“Gujarat Titans look good, they look like a solid team,” he said. “Even Lucknow; the two new teams look really balanced.”

“Then there’s always teams like Chennai. They haven’t really started well, but look at the match-winners they have, and if they get in a groove, we can see how dangerous they can be.”

You can watch the full interview with Rassie van der Dussen here or below.