Francois â€œFafâ€ du Plessis â€“ The Marathon Man

Right-handed batter Faf du Plessis arrived at the international cricket scene back in 2011, with an unbeaten 60 against India. His Test debut happened in a match against Australia a year later, where he was adjudged the Man of the Match for his resilient performance toward the end of the innings, which led to the match being drawn.

Faf took over the leadership responsibility across all three formats for the Proteas in 2017, following the stepping down of AB de Villiers. He has since done a decent job for his side, winning Test series both in Australia and in New Zealand before announcing his farewell to the longest format of the game in February this year.

Faf also had a telling impact in the Indian T20 League. Even at the age of 37, he was one of the most dependable batters for the Chennai team until last year when he managed to score 633 runs at an average of 45.21, finishing second in the list of leading run scorers. The South African batter is adept at scoring runs in every position he bats in and can be a nightmare for bowlers once he gets into his groove. Though a technically strong player by nature, du Plessis can change the gear when needed, something that has time and again been seen in the Indian T20 League. Though he did not get selected for South Africaâ€™s squad for the T20 World Cup 2021, Faf conveyed his message to South African team selectors by giving a Player of the Match-winning performance in the final of the Indian T20 League 2021.

He will be sharing the dressing room with Virat Kohlli this year and will be the leader of the pack.

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Faf du Plessisâ€™ Personal Details

- Name
- :
- Francois du Plessis
- Date of Birth
- :
- 13th July, 1984
- Birthplace
- :
- Pretoria, South Africa
- Height
- :
- 5â€²10â€³
- Playing Role
- :
- Top-order batter
- Batting Style
- :
- Right-handed batter
- Current Teams
- :
- South Africa National Cricket Team, Bangalore Team
- Jersey Number
- :
- 18

Faf du Plessis Current Rankings

T20 139
ODI 9
Test 50

Faf du Plessis Stats

- Format
- M
- Inn
- Runs
- HS
- Avg
- SR
- 100
- 200
- 50
- Test
- 69
- 118
- 4163
- 199 vs SL
- 40.03
- 46.33
- 10
- 0
- 21
- ODI
- 143
- 136
- 5507
- 185 vs SL
- 46.67
- 88.57
- 12
- 0
- 35
- T20l
- 50
- 50
- 1528
- 119 vs WI
- 35.53
- 134.39
- 1
- 0
- 10

Faf du Plessis â€“ Key Skills and Strengths

Du Plessis has an unorthodox batting style. He has an unusually high backlift but brings the bat down on time to stroke the ball to his favorite leg side. The veteran has a particular preference for the leg side and scores a lot of his runs on that side. While holding the bat, du Plessis has his hands placed apart, with the bottom hand apparently taking full control and enabling him to play the ball wherever he wants.

The Pretoria-born playerâ€™s leadership skills hardly need any additional mention. In 76 matches in ODIs and T20s collectively, du Plessis led the Proteas to 51 wins, losing just 23. He also won 18 Test matches as a skipper, losing 15 games. Du Plessis was an active captain, showing additional initiative in tough situations. His inability to win any major ICC competition can never undermine his ability as a skipper.

He adds an additional experience to the Chennai team line-up, which is already well-equipped with the likes of MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina.

Faf Du Plessisâ€™s Captaincy Record

- Format
- Matches
- Won
- Lost
- Tie/Draw
- NR
- Test
- 36
- 18
- 15
- 3
- 0
- ODI
- 39
- 28
- 10
- 0
- 1
- T20I
- 40
- 25
- 15
- 0
- 0

Faf du Plessis Awards and Achievements

Du Plessis took charge of the South African cricket team while they were going through a transitional phase. Proteasâ€™ legend de Villiers had just stepped down and the South African promise was fading. The job for du Plessis was therefore to take them to their former heights and he did decently in that. His batting form also improved after being given the additional responsibility.

However, the batterâ€™s performances cannot simply be judged in terms of his overall stats as a skipper. Du Plessis is no doubt a world-class batter and has already written his name among the greatest of the game.

Here are some of du Plessisâ€™s records and achievements in international cricket:

Du Plessis is only the fourth South African player to have scored a Test century on debut.
He is only the second batter to have scored a century in all three formats of the game, with the first one being Tillakaratne Dilshan.
He is the first player to score a century in a day/night Test match.
Following Gary Kirstenâ€™s 188, du Plessis is the one with the second-highest individual score in ODIs (185) for South Africa.
Du Plessis was named South African Player of the Year in 2019.
He holds the record of playing the most international innings since debut without scoring a duck.

Faf du Plessisâ€™s Indian T20 League Journey

Du Plessis started his Indian T20 League. with the Chennai team back in 2011, the year of his international debut. He stayed with the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side for the next four years before moving to the Pune team. That stint lasted for only a year before his return to the yellow jersey in 2018. He will be leading the Bangalore team this year.

Du Plessis has been one of Chennaiâ€™s most successful players and is a tough wicket to get for any bowler. And it is a close to impossible job to get him out for a duck.

Here are some of du Plessisâ€™s biggest achievements in the Indian T20 League:

Du Plessis never got out for a duck in the Indian T20 League until 2014, when he failed to open the scoring against the Punjab team in the second qualifier.
De Plessis has 20 half centuries in the Indian T20 League, being placed 16th in the list of the most 50s in the tournament.
Du Plessis has made 100 appearances in the Indian T20 League.

- Format
- M
- Runs
- HS
- Avg
- SR
- 100
- 50
- Indian T20 League
- 118
- 3499
- 96 vs Punjab
- 34.64
- 131.49
- 0
- 26

Faf du Plessis: FAQs

What is the secret behind Faf du Plessisâ€™s unique batting style?

Faf du Plessis revealed that he had tried to emulate Herschelle Gibbs as a budding cricketer and had taken up the habit of tapping his bat before every delivery.

What is the Jersey number of Faf du Plessis?

The Jersey number of Faf du Plessis is 18.

What are the hobbies of Faf du Plessis?

Du Plessis has a passion for watching Formula One racing. He is also a great cook

Why did Faf du Plessis refuse the chance to play for England?

Du Plessis refused the chance to play for England early in his career. He was offered the chance to do so by Nottinghamshire but his dream to play for South Africa one day prevented him from accepting that offer.