Faf du Plessis
Faf du Plessis – South African international cricketer
Few players in world cricket can match the versatility of Faf du Plessis, the renowned South African cricketer. A technically gifted batter, an effective bowler, one of the game’s finest fielders, and a natural-born leader, he showcased all of these qualities across every major format of the sport: Test, ODI and T20. In this brief overview, we have aimed to provide a concise yet informative look at the sporting career, achievements and fascinating facts surrounding one of cricket’s modern legends.
Faf du Plessis: Biography and Cricket Career
Faf du Plessis (full name François du Plessis) was born on July 13, 1984, in Pretoria, one of South Africa’s three capital cities. As the son of a professional rugby player, Faf grew up in a family where sport played a central role. Unsurprisingly, he tried his hand at several disciplines during his childhood, including football, field hockey, and rugby. However, even at the age of six, du Plessis was already displaying exceptional cricketing talent, confidently competing against boys much older than himself. Eventually, at the age of 16-17, while studying at the prestigious Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies), he made the final decision to focus exclusively on cricket.
In an interview with the media team of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), whom he represented during the 2022-2024 seasons, du Plessis explained why he gave up rugby and committed fully to cricket:
“I stopped playing rugby because I didn’t want to get injured. My cricket season was around. I was using my school to set my stuff up to afford to become a professional. Now in the last game I played, there was this guy who dunked me over his shoulders. I fell backwards and broke my wrist.”
Shortly after graduating from school and while studying at the University of Pretoria, Faf du Plessis caught the attention of national selectors following a series of standout performances for Northerns. As a result, he was selected for South Africa Under-19s for the South Africa U19 tour of England in 2003. South Africa won the series 2-0, while du Plessis emerged as one of the leading batters, scoring a total of 226 runs.
Despite this success, breaking into South Africa’s senior national team at the time was incredibly difficult. Consequently, in 2008, after representing local franchises Northerns and Titans, du Plessis signed a three-year contract with English county club Lancashire.
The next few seasons in England proved highly beneficial. By then, many had already begun calling him “the next big star from South Africa.” Upon returning home, du Plessis made a major leap forward in his career. In 2011, he successfully debuted in ODI cricket against India, scoring 60 runs. In 2012, he made his first appearance in T20 International cricket against England. His greatest breakthrough, however, came later that year when he debuted in Test cricket against Australia, scoring 110 runs and helping South Africa secure victory.
Nearly fifteen years have passed since those debuts, and during that time Faf du Plessis has built an impressive collection of achievements, titles, and records:
- 2011: Named South Africa’s Newcomer of the Year (CSA Awards).
- 2012: Appointed permanent captain of South Africa’s T20I side.
- 2014: Won the Champions League Twenty20 with Chennai Super Kings.
- 2015: Became the first South African cricketer to score a century in all three international formats (Test, ODI, and T20I).
- 2016: Became only the second player in cricket history, after Tillakaratne Dilshan, to score centuries in all three formats as captain. Also appointed official captain of South Africa’s Test side.
- 2017: Scored 185 runs against Sri Lanka, one of the highest individual ODI scores ever recorded by a South African batter.
- 2018: IPL champion with Chennai Super Kings.
- 2019: Named South African Cricketer of the Year. As captain, he also led Paarl Rocks to the Mzansi Super League title.
- 2020: Scored a career-best 199 runs in a Test match against Sri Lanka, setting his personal record in the format.
- 2021: Won his second IPL title with Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
- 2022: Became Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) champion with Comilla Victorians.
- 2024: Captained Saint Lucia Kings to victory in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL 2024).
Faf du Plessis remains one of South Africa’s most successful captains, boasting an ODI win percentage of approximately 73.7%. He became the first South African skipper to defeat Australia across all formats on Australian soil and is widely regarded as one of the finest fielders of his generation, taking more than 168 catches in international cricket.
Following the end of his international career, which can effectively be dated to February 2021, Faf du Plessis shifted his full attention to franchise and league cricket around the globe. At the age of 41, he continues to serve as a leader and captain for Joburg Super Kings (SA20), Texas Super Kings (MLC) and Rotterdam Dockers (ETPL), while remaining one of the oldest yet fittest and most sought-after veterans in world T20 cricket.
Faf du Plessis: Personal Life and Interesting Facts
Away from the cricket field, Faf du Plessis is a devoted family man. He is married to marketer and photographer Imari du Plessis (née Visser). The couple tied the knot in 2013 at the picturesque Kleine Zalze estate in South Africa. They have two daughters: Amélie, born in 2017, and Zoey, born in 2020. The family is based in South Africa but travels frequently.
To wrap things up, here are several interesting facts about the cricketer and his playing career:
- Faf attended the prestigious boys’ school in Pretoria alongside another future cricket superstar and close friend, AB de Villiers.
- Du Plessis is widely regarded as one of South Africa’s leading sporting style icons.
- He was involved in two ball-tampering controversies: in 2013 for rubbing the ball against his trouser zipper, and in 2016 for applying saliva after eating a mint.
- In 2022, he released his autobiography, Faf: Through Fire, co-written with Myrna van der Westhuizen. The book offers a remarkably candid account of his life and career.
Faf du Plessis is highly active on social media, maintaining profiles on Instagram (@fafdup), X/Twitter (@faf1307) and Facebook (@duPlessis.faf), where he shares updates on his career, achievements, family life, travels and commercial partnerships.
| Format | Matches | Runs | Bat Avg | Top Score | Balls bowled | Wickets | Bowl Avg | Best Bowl | Catches |
| Test | 69 | 4 163 | 40.02 | 199 | 78 | 0 | – | – | 63 |
| ODI | 143 | 5 507 | 47.47 | 185 | 192 | 2 | 94.50 | 1/8 | 81 |
| T20I | 50 | 1 528 | 35.53 | 119 | 8 | 0 | – | – | 24 |
| T20s | 431 | 12 041 | 32.80 | 120 | 790 | 50 | 18.34 | 5/19 | 218 |
| List A | 262 | 9 483 | 46.94 | 185 | 2 238 | 54 | 37.59 | 4/47 | 147 |
| FC | 150 | 8 798 | 39.27 | 199 | 2 558 | 41 | 36.02 | 4/39 | 141 |
