The proof, quite simply, is in the numbers: Faf du Plessis only seems to gain in influence and value as a Twenty20 player, even as he may instead be expected to be slowly descending from a career peak at 36. For confirmation that he remains a significant international force in the shortest major format, his two half-centuries in three innings for the Proteas against white-ball heavyweights England on their controversially shortened visit to the Western Cape in November tell you everything about the 50-capper's ongoing SA credentials, with a T20 World Cup looming within months. More recently, though, Du Plessis has been on a sublime run of form in the most glamorous annual franchise event just short of that level, the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League.

Source: News 24 May 04, 2021 03:00 UTC