The South African star batter Faf du Plessis has been released by Royal Challengers Bengaluru before the IPL 2025 mega auction, as the franchise have gone for a revamp of their squad.

The 40-year-old veteran batter made his IPL debut in 2012 and spent a significant portion of his career in Chennai Super Kings. With CSK he remained a crucial player for them for multiple seasons and won IPL titles in 2011, 2018, and 2021.

In 2022, the veteran batter joined RCB for a price of Rs. 7 crore and remained a key performer for them. In 2023, he scored 730 runs in 14 matches and was the second-highest scorer of that season. In the last IPL, he captained RCB and led his team to the playoffs.

In his IPL career, Du Plessis has scored 4571 runs in 145 matches. He remains a consistent performer throughout his career. Along with a strong technical foundation in batting, he has been an excellent fielder, making him a perfect match-winner. His strategic acumen and man-management ability also makes him a good leader.

IPl 2025 Auction: Four Teams Who Can Buy Faf du Plessis for IPL 2025

Due to his consistency, experience and ability to score in any situation makes Du Plessis an invaluable asset in limited-over cricket. Here are the teams who can be interested in him for the next IPL.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)

KKR have retained their core bowling unit and middle order batting line-up intact but an experienced batter at the top-order will be required for the champions for the next season. After releasing Shreyas Iyer, the last season’s captain, his leadership skills will also help the squad.

Punjab Kings (PBKS)

PBKS have gone for a complete overhaul of their squad for the next IPL and a veteran batter with leadership ability will be a perfect fit for the franchise. Finding a stable top-order batter has been a perpetual problem for Punjab, by signing Du Plessis this problem can be solved.

Gujarat Titans (GT)

Though GT have talented batters like Shubman Gill and Sai Sudarshan in their retained list of players, they are heavily lacking players with vast exposure to international cricket. Inclusion of Du Plessis will resolve the issue and it will take their batting order to an extraordinary high.

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)

LSG have retained five players but none of them are top-order batter and like many other teams they are also lacking a player for the leadership role. After release of KL Rahul, a prominent figure will be required in the batting order and the 40-year-old veteran could fulfil the role.