Faf du Plessis Exclusive: Proteas cricket icon on how IPL's rules shape the game, reveals his champion pick

Former South African cricketer Faf du Plessis has spoken about the influence of IPL's regulations in an exclusive conversation with First Sports, highlighting how much it has changed the dynamics compared to regular cricket. He also revealed his ultimate prediction for the ongoing Indian Premier League season.

Du Plessis spoke after joining the European T20 Premier League, which will debut in August this year. Faf has joined forces with Jonty Rhodes and Heinrich Klaasen to form a consortium to acquire the Rotterdam franchise.

Not only will Faf and fellow former South Africa cricketer Klaasen co-own the franchise, but they will also feature in ETPL as players, with du Plessis as the team's skipper.

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How Impact Player rule has shaped modern cricket

During the interview, Faf expressed his thoughts on the IPL's Impact Player rule affecting world cricket, saying that teams usually rely on their all-rounders, but the dynamics change when it comes to the Indian Premier League, as it shifts strategies and helps deliver unusually high-scoring matches.

The Proteas veteran added that despite the batting-friendly surfaces, bowlers like Josh Hazlewood being able to perform consistently shows that quality bowling remains valuable in the game.

"The rest of the world operates at a level where it's just 11 players, your all-rounder is still very much important. All of those things, for us, still feel very normal because that's what we do 90 per cent of the year. It's only when you get to the IPL where it's the Impact Player, and it's almost like you just switch into a mode where you're like, okay, this is normal for the next two months.

"There's going to be some massive scores, and then the game's going to places where we never thought it would go. But then also, you still look at some of the teams, and you go, actually, good bowlers are still bowling well. There's still room for the actual world-class bowler, someone like Hazlewood. Every single game he plays, he's performing. So, it's not possible. It's just much harder for a bowler in the IPL. The wickets are good, the grounds are small, but it still creates fascinating watching," the former RCB skipper told Firstpost's Rupha Ramani.

Faf predicts IPL 2026 winner

The 2028 LA Olympics is generating significant anticipation among fans with cricket's inclusion, while cricketers are getting ready to represent their country in one of the most prestigious sporting events.

Du Plessis expressed that while winning an Olympic gold medal sounds appealing, he is not interested in returning to play for South Africa, saying, "For me, personally, a gold medal at the Olympics does sound pretty good, but in terms of coming back and playing for South Africa, no."

With the IPL 2026 season in full swing, Faf also made his prediction for the ongoing season. The former cricketer revealed that his original picks were MI, RCB, PBKS and DC and also heaped praise on franchises like Rajasthan, Bengaluru, and Punjab for their exceptional performance.

Furthermore, when asked to choose the ultimate winner, Faf backed his former IPL team, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, to win the title back-to-back.

"If I had to pick a team, looking at the squads, I'd say RCB. I think they will go back to back," the former SA cricketer added.

RCB will be back in action on Thursday, May 07, against the Lucknow Super Giants at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana International Cricket Stadium.

Watch the full episode here: