India, March 25 -- Former South African skipper Faf du Plessis was full of praise for Indian coach Gautam Gambhir, crediting him for the unique role he fulfills in a very special way at the helm of Indian cricket.

Speaking on JioStar, du Plessis reflected on what it was like to play against Gambhir - while the pair never shared a dressing room in the IPL, they were consistent opponents on the international level and particularly in the franchise league, as Gambhir's KKR teams fronted up against Chennai Super Kings in some iconic battles through the 2010s.

"My perspective of Gambhir is obviously very different from the guys that have played with him," explained du Plessis. "He is always the villain in the story when it comes to playing a...