THE RUN-MACHINE: FAF DU PLESSIS
Francois du Plessis, usually known as Faf du Plessis, is a South African right-handed batsman. Born in Pretoria, South Africa, he is now one of the most famous cricketers. His calmness and skills prove that he is the perfect fit for International Cricket. His orthodox approach and dedication make him an asset to whichever team he plays for. He is also known for his exceptional skills and is indeed a blessing for the entire team. He has played for teams like South Africa, Chennai Super Kings, Melbourne Renegades, Titans, Rising Pune Supergiants, St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, World XI, Stellenbosch Kings, Paarl Rocks, Edmonton Royals, Belfast Titans, Kent, and has proved his skills every time.
Faf du Plessis Profile
Faf du Plessis was born on July 13, 1984, and is a South African International Cricketer. He is also a former captain of the South Africa national cricket team. His father played Rugby in the center position for Northern Transvaal in the 1980s. Faf du Plessis married his long-time girlfriend in 2013 and now has a daughter with Imari Visser in 2017.
Faf du Plessis news includes him stating he is a Christian and his purpose on the field is more than just scoring runs. He hopes he can spend time with people and show love for Jesus. On 17 July 2020, Plessis, through Instagram, showed support for the Black Lives Matter movement and admitted that racism still exists quite widely in South Africa. He ended the statement by quoting, “All lives don’t matter until Black Lives Matter.”
| Name | Francois du Plessis |
| Faf du Plessis’ age | 36 years |
| Faf du Plessis’ height | 5 feet 11 inches |
| Role | Right-handed Batsman |
| Faf du Plessis’ wife | Imari Visser |
Faf du Plessis was considered inexperienced and did not have a big fan base initially. However, he took everyone by surprise when Chennai signed him for the Indian Premier League’s inaugural season. He was one of the most prolific run-scorers in the team and earned a great deal of reputation and respect.
Below is a table that shows Faf du Plessis’s stats over the years.
Batting Stats
| Matches | Innings | Runs | Best | Average | Strike Rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 69 | 118 | 4163 | 199 | 40.00 | 46.3 |
| ODI | 143 | 136 | 5507 | 185 | 46.67 | 88.57 |
| T20I | 50 | 50 | 1528 | 119 | 35.5 | 134.4 |
| IPL | 84 | 77 | 2302 | 96 | 32.9 | 129.2 |
Let’s have a look at some of the details of matches played byFaf du Plessis:
| Test Debut | V/s Australia at Adelaide Oval, Nov 22, 2012 |
| Last Test | V/s Pakistan at The Rawalpindi Stadium, Feb 4, 2021 |
| ODI Debut | V/s India at Newlands, Jan 18, 2011 |
| Last ODI | V/s Australia at Emirates Old Trafford, Jul 06, 2019 |
| T20 Debut | V/s England at Riverside Ground, Sep 08, 2012 |
| Last T20 | V/s Australia at Newlands, Feb 26, 2020 |
| IPL Debut | V/s Mumbai Indians at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Apr 04, 2012 |
| Last IPL | V/s Sunrisers Hyderabad at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Nov 01, 2020 |
Achievements of Faf du Plessis:
1) He is the second batsman to have scored a century as a captain in all formats of the game. Additionally, he is the primary South African to score centuries in all three forms.
2) He holds the record for scoring the second-highest individual score of 185 by a South African cricketer.
3) Faf du Plessis has played the most innings before scoring a duck in international cricket (108 innings).
4) Faf du Plessis holds a fantastic record of scoring the first century in a Day/Night Test match.
Faf du Plessis Domestic Career:
Plessis scored 8385 runs in 142 First-Class Matches while playing for the Northerns. He has scored 52 half-centuries and 17 centuries in First-class cricket.
Du Plessis was on a 6-month contract with Lancashire for the 2008 season beginning in April as a Kolpak after dazzling the board with a great exhibition of batting in the local Nottinghamshire associations for Mansfield Hosiery Mills and the Lancashire League for Todmorden.
Faf du Plessis’s Test Career:
On 22nd November 2012, Faf Du Plessis made his test debut against the Australian cricket team. He scored 78 & 110 runs in the two innings, respectively. Despite giving his best in the match, the match ended in a draw. To date, he has an average of above 41 and has scored 3901 runs. This makes him one of the most reliable batsmen in South Africa.
Faf du Plessis’ IPL Career:
He had managed to be a trusted player in Chennai Super Kings even before becoming a regular in the South African team. The team always knew that they could turn to Du Plessis every time they had a crisis. One such example was in 2018, when he rescued the side from the dumps in Qualifier - 1, thereby piloting them to the final.
- Faf du Plessis’s CSK association will continue in 2021 & will contribute to the team hopefully reaching the playoff stage and eventually winning the title for the fourth time.
- Faf du Plessis’s Net Worth is estimated to be around $14 Millionand comprises earnings by playing league cricket in various countries and various brand endorsements.
- Faf du Plessis’s International Cricket Career:
On 18 January 2011, in Cape Town, South Africa, Faf du Plessis made his ODI debut and scored 60 runs. He has scored 5507 runs in 143 matches with an average of above 47, with 35 half-centuries and 12 centuries to his name.
It took some time for him to register his maiden century in ODIs, which came against Australia Team in the Zimbabwe Tri-series. In the same series, he brought up two more hundreds and scored 96 in the final match and received the ‘Man of the Series’ award for his efforts. Du Plessis continued his excellent run in the ODIs in the later years as well.
He has proved his worth from time to time, and watching du Plessis’s IPL performances are a delight for everyone’s eyes.