Faf du Plessis has shut the door on his long time in the IPL. The 41-year-old confirmed on Saturday that he will not take part in the pending auction, concluding a run of 14 straight seasons. A basic message posted on social media brought the news, albeit the impact was anything but small.
His stint in the league started way back in 2012 when he played for Chennai Super kings. He scored 398 runs in his first year and continued to build from there. CSK became home to a big chunk of his career. Titles came in 2018 and again in 2021, and his dependability at the top became something of a matter of course for their fans.
The next phase saw an increase in runs. From 2020 to 2024, du Plessis had hit upon his most productive spell. He almost went on to top the charts in 2021 finishing by just two runs behind Ruturaj Gaikwad. Later he moved to Royal Challengers Bengaluru he took over the captaincy and pushed another good season in the year 2023. Delhi Capitals picked him for 2025 though that campaign never quite clicked. Only 202 runs came from his bat.
His announcement had a more subdued tone. He wrote that the IPL influenced a significant part of his journey and India has a place that he will not forget. There was no dramatic goodbye. Just gratitude, and a hint that he will still be around in some form.
The next stop is already in line. Du Plessis confirmed that he is going to join the PSL in 2026, returning to a league that he has experienced before to Quetta Gladiators and Peshawar Zalmi. He termed it as a new challenge with fresh energy and an opportunity to grow again. A different path during this stage of his career. But a deliberate one.
