'Always the villain in the story': Faf du Plessis' unique take on Gautam Gambhir
Former South African captain Faf du Plessis lauded Gautam Gambhir's leadership, calling him a 'villain' for rivals but a respected figure for his team. Du Plessis highlighted Gambhir's high standards and accountability, evident in his successful stints with KKR and India's recent limited-overs triumphs, despite Test match struggles.
Former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis has described India head coach Gautam Gambhir as a 'villain in the story' for opponents, while praising his leadership qualities and impact on Indian cricket. Gautam Gambhir's contribution for the Indian cricket is highly recognized by former South African skipper Faf du Plessis, Gambhir led Kolkata Knight Riders to two IPL titles as a captain and another one in 2024 as their mentor. For the Indian cricket team, he won both T20 World Cup in 2007 and the ODI World Cup in 2011.
During his tenure as coach, India won the Champions Trophy in 2025 and T20 World Cup in 2026. Du Plessis praised Gambhir for not caring about what people though about him and concentrates on maintaining high standards. ‘Villain’ for Rivals, Leader for His Team Speaking on JioStar, du Plessis admitted that Gambhir’s on-field persona makes him a tough competitor to face, but one that commands respect.
"My perspective of Gambhir is obviously very different from the guys that have played with him. He is always the villain in the story when it comes to playing against him. But, you respect that.
He is so competitive. He doesn't worry for one second to be liked by anyone,” he said. “His job as a leader is to set high standards and have accountability within the dressing room.