Faf

du Plessis

Faf Du Plessis Biography and Career

Known for his outstanding fielding and consistent batting across all formats, Faf du Plessis is considered one of the greatest fielders and a top all-format batsman in the cricket world. After the retirement of Jacques Kallis, the South African team was looking for a player to replace him and they found that player in the form of du Plessis.

Since his international debut, du Plessis has proven his worth with his consistent batting and ability to perform under pressure situations. In his debut match against India on January 18, 2011, he smashed an unbeaten 60 runs in One Day International (ODI) that opened his path to play from the national side in Test and Twenty20 International (T20) games as well.

Du Plessis made his international debut in a T20I against England on September 8, 2012, followed by his Test debut later that year, where he famously scored a match-saving century by scoring 110 runs not out on debut in Adelaide, making him a player on whom the team relies on under pressure conditions.

His performance in the 2012 Adelaide Test is regarded as the best Test batting performance by any batsman in Australia since the year 2000, making it the best Test performance of the 21st century in Australia.

While he is known for his smart batting style, particularly his ability to anchor innings and play long, match-defining innings, du Plessis is also an exceptional fielder. Agile and dependable, du Plessis frequently makes stunning catches while on the slip and in the outfield.

Over the years, he has transformed from a middle-order batsman to a top-order player and has adapted his game to the demands of modern cricket. His performance with the bat and his calm behaviour on the ground brought him the opportunity to lead the South African team.

After making his T20 debut in 2012, he was later named T20 captain of the national team for the following T20I series against New Zealand and confirmed full-time captain in February 2013. Later he was named South Africa's captain in all formats after teammate and former captain AB de Villiers announced to step down from his captaincy.

As skipper, du Plessis led South Africa in two T20 World Cup tournaments in 2014 and 2016. The year 2016 proved to be a standout year for him. He became the first international captain to whitewash Australia in a five-match ODI series and led South Africa to victories in both home and away Test series against Australia.

On October 2, 2016, du Plessis scored his sixth century in the second game against Australia in an ODI and became the second cricketer to score centuries in all international formats as captain, after Sri Lanka's Tillakaratne Dilshan and the first South African to score a century in all international formats of the game.

During his international career, du Plessis has been involved in some controversies. He has been found guilty of ball tampering twice. The first time was during The Oval Test match against Pakistan in 2013 and the second was against Australia in 2016, during the Hobart Test match. While he denied the allegations, he was fined 50% and 100% of his match fee, respectively.

However, he stood strong and in the second Test against Australia in 2016, he scored a century and in the following month, he was appointed to lead the national team in Test cricket.

Apart from international cricket, du Plessis has been a key figure in various T20 leagues globally. In the Indian Premier League (IPL), he played for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) before being acquired by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the 2022 IPL auction. In March 2022, he was appointed as RCB's captain.

In the IPL, he has been a consistent performer, notably with the CSK, winning the IPL finals in 2018 and 2021. In the 2025 auction, he was acquired by Delhi Capitals (DC) for Rs 2 crore.

His performances have often drawn praise from cricket experts and fans. Fans admire his fighting spirit and often celebrate his match-winning innings with hashtags such as #FafFire. His witty comments in press conferences and his candid interviews have also made him popular among cricket fans around the world.

Du Plessis' consistent performances and his leadership skills earned him the title of South African Cricketer of the Year in 2019, reflecting his significant contributions to the game.

Beyond Cricket

Off the ground, Faf du Plessis lives a fulfilling life centred around family and personal development. He married his long-time girlfriend, Imari Visser, in November 2013, and the couple is blessed with two daughters.

His social media posts are covered with family moments, fitness routines, and cricketing updates, showcasing his well-rounded personality. He often shares adorable family pictures on his Instagram account.

When it comes to his fitness routines, he has mentioned that he has a "smarter" approach to preparation, adding that this approach helps him be more aggressive during games.

Beyond cricket, du Plessis has been also involved in some charity work. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he auctioned one of his bats and a pink ODI jersey to raise funds for feeding underprivileged children.

In another event, he expressed his support for the Black Lives Matter movement by releasing a statement on Instagram on July 17, 2020, after fellow Protea player Lungi Ngidi requested Cricket South Africa to be vocal about the movement and address racism in cricket.

Du Plessis has a following of 5 million on Instagram and is involved in several brand endorsements, including Sareen Sports, Sbotop, Insignia Sports, and Howzat.

Faf du Plessis Records
Faf du Plessis Test Records: 

• Notable achievement (2012): Scored a match-saving century (110 not out) on Test debut against Australia in Adelaide.
• Longest innings by a South African in Tests: Batted for 376 balls to save the Adelaide Test in 2012.
• First player to score 100 in day/night Test (2016): Scored a century (118 not out) in an innings of a day/night Test as captain against Australia.
• Highest score (2020): Highest Test score of 199 came against Sri Lanka in December at Centurion.

Faf du Plessis ODI Records

• Notable achievement (2017): Scored 185 not out against Sri Lanka,, the highest individual score by a South African in ODIs at the time.
• 2015 World Cup: Played an important role by hitting 402 runs, including a century against India.
• First international captain to whitewash Australia in an ODI series (2016): Beat Australia by 5-0 under his captaincy.

Faf du Plessis T20I Records

• Notable achievement (2015): Scored the first T20I century by a South African (119 off 56 balls) against the West Indies.

Faf du Plessis Overall International Records

• Second cricketer to score centuries in all international formats as captain: On 2 October, du Plessis scored his sixth century and became the second cricketer to score centuries in all international formats as captain, after Sri Lanka's Tillakaratne Dilshan.

Faf du Plessis IPL Records 

• Second most runs in IPL 2023: Scored 730 runs, including eight half-centuries.