Hardwork and Homework: At 40, what makes Delhi Capitals new recruit Faf du Plessis the fittest

At 40, what makes Delhi Capitals new recruit Faf du Plessis the fittest, friend AB de Villiers explains (Instagram/AFP)

“He’s amazing, he trains hard, he's very fit. I feel in today's age of sport, you have to be like that if you're looking for longevity." This was Faf du Plessis' remarks on former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) teammate Virat Kohli a year ago. The duo won't be sharing the dressing room this time around as the former South African skipper has found a new home (Delhi Capitals), while Kohli was retained by the RCB.

But the duo despite being in opposite corners share one thing in common - fitness. At 40, Du Plessis still is regarded as one of the fittest cricketers and his posts on Instagram a reflection of his grind.

Du Plessis, who now plies his trade in franchise leagues across the world, will be seen leading the Joburg Super Kings in the SA20, which starts from Thursday. And ahead of the tournament, Moneycontrol posed a question to his ex-Proteas teammate AB de Villiers regarding his fitness, which certainly is age defying.

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Detailing Du Plessis' work regime, De Villiers highlighted "focus on finer details" as the major factor behind his fitness.

"Something that stands out with him is that he's always been a hard worker from a very young age. I've known him since we were like nine years old, he has always been a guy to put in the extra yard for himself and for the team. And nothing has changed at the age of 40 he is still very fit, very similar to me.

"I think we like to go out and put the hard yards in to this day. I'm still active, I love spending time at the gym, I love running around, playing in the garden with my kids and it's just a healthy lifestyle. I think that's what makes Faf very successful," said De Villiers.

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Du Plessis' new home Delhi Capitals

Du Plessis was roped in by the Delhi Capitals for Rs 2 crore, which was his base price. While one can argue that he could have been avoided considering the franchise already had Jake Fraser-McGurk and KL Rahul in the ranks, who bat at the similar position as the South African. But if we dot down the skill set - gun fielder, proven leader, and explosive batter - it arguably makes him the biggest steal deal at the mega auction held in Jeddah last November.

Sharing his thoughts on Du Plessis' move to Delhi Capitals, De Villers said: "He's going to Delhi that's where I started my career. So hopefully he will have a fantastic time over there at the Delhi Capitals and have a fantastic season at the IPL."

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What Du Plessis brings to the table

Delhi Capitals will go into the new season without a captain although franchise co-owner Parth Jindal had previously mentioned the idea of dual captaincy with the names of KL Rahul and Axar Patel projected to lead the side. But now with Du Plessis in, the franchise has an even bigger pool to choose their captain. Even if Du Plessis is not given the leadership role both Rahul and Axar will get plenty of insights from the former Proteas cricketer, who has a proven track record as a captain.

Highlighting what Du Plessis brings to the table as a leader, De Villiers stated: "He's a wonderful player with great talent and great skill. And I think one of his biggest assets is his experience and the way he does homework. And once again that goes back to his hard work and his working regime, he puts the hard yards in regards to analysis, he knows exactly what to expect of the opposition and what they're going to throw at him. He understands the dimensions of the ground. He always walks out early to see if there's a bit of wind and get the wind direction. So he always puts the extra yards in and the finer details. I think that's the one thing that stands out with him, the finer details."