3 stars and 2 flop players from South Africa in the IPL
South African players have been quite successful in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and we could have some more Proteas stars coming through in the upcoming IPL 2022 Auction.
Players such as Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis and Albie Morkel have delivered in the IPL for their respective franchises in the past. More recently, the likes of AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn, Imran Tahir and more have played a pivotal part in their respective franchises.
Traditionally, South Africa tends to produce some world-class players that have left their mark on the best franchise tournaments around the globe, including the IPL.
With the IPL Auction 2022 around the corner, we take a look at three South African players who have starred in the IPL:
#1 AB de Villiers
There's only one place to start on this list and it's the Superman from South Africa. AB de Villiers joined the IPL franchise, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in 2011, and became an instant fan-favourite.
With 5192 runs at an average of 39.70 and a strike rate of 151.68 in 184 matches, de Villiers' record in the IPL speaks for itself. With three centuries and 40 half-centuries to his name, Mr.360 will not only go down as one of the best South African players in the IPL, but one of the best batters in the world.
#2 Dale Steyn
Is there anything better than watching Dale Steyn bowl the stumps out of the grooves?
We’re definitely expecting him to make major contributions to these current IPL stats.
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With 97 wickets in 95 matches at a strike rate of 22.43 and an economy rate of just 6.91, Dale Steyn has been one of the the best, if not the best, South African bowlers in the IPL.
The Proteas pacer ranks fourth in most wickets taken by a foreign bowler in IPL history. Steyn was also a bit of a team trotter in the tournament, playing for four sides: Royal Challengers Bangalore, Deccan Chargers, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Lions.
#3 Faf du Plessis
Faf du Plessis has been a part of seven IPL campaigns and has scored at least 300 runs or more in six of those seasons. Faf defines consistency at the top of the order and has been one of the key stalwarts for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) over the years.
Aggregating 2935 runs at an average of 34.94 and a strike rate of 131.08 in 93 innings, Faf du Plessis is a T20 legend who is adored by the Yellow Army in Chennai.
Who were the South African flops in the IPL?
Imran Tahir, Chris Morris and David Miller deserve special mentions on the list of the top three players who made their mark in the IPL.
While most South Africans have made a positive impact with their sides in the IPL, there were some who couldn't quite manage to do so. Here, we take a look at two South African players who flopped in the IPL.
#1 Justin Kemp
Justin Kemp was one of South Africa's best all-rounders in recent history. The Proteas all-rounder played for CSK in the 2010 edition of the IPL. However, Kemp was never able to make his mark or find his feet in the tournament.
In the five matches he played, Kemp could only make 26 runs in the tournament at an average of 13 and a strike rate of just 108. Even with the ball, the all-rounder only bowled a touch over seven overs in the IPL.
#2 Hardus Viljoen
Hardus Viljoen was brought was by the Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) for his base price of Rs. 75 lakhs in IPL 2019. With an economy rate above 9.5, he didn't have a memorable IPL in 2019.
Despite being retained by the Kings, Viljoen only managed to play six matches and bag seven wickets. With an average of 31.71 and a strike rate of 19.71, Viljoen was pretty disappointing in the IPL.