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Although Faf du Plessis has captained Royal Challengers Bangalore in the past two IPL seasons, his most successful year has been with Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The South African veteran has also been vocal about the emotional connection he shares with the Men in Yellow and their fans.
Having been with CSK for nearly a decade, Du Plessis has put in some amazing performances with the bat, proving how passionate and reliable he can be. Be it in the open or in the middle order, Du Plessis always seemed ready to show his versatility as the team demands.
As Faf du Plessis celebrates his 39th birthday today, here’s a look at three of his most memorable moments with Chennai Super Kings:
#3 95*(60) against KKR, IPL 2021
While Faf du Plessis’ highest score in the IPL of 96 came in a lost cause, his sensational knock of 95* proved to be the difference between the two teams in a high-scoring match at Wankhede.
Du Plessis proved to be the ideal opening partner for Ruturaj Gaikwad as he played second fiddle while Gaikwad continued to lead from one end. However, once the Gaikwad was fired, Du Plessis easily switched gears and began smashing the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to all parts of the earth.
His sensational knock allowed CSK to reach 220/3 in his 20 overs. Despite being 31/5 in the chase, KKR did their best with amazing half-centuries from Andre Russell and Pat Cummins. But it proved to be too much for them in the end as they lost 18 times.
# 2 86 (59) against KKR, IPL 2021 Final
Another amazing strike against the same opponent that season, Fav de Plessis showed why he is such a top player for CSK. He hit 86 off just 59 balls in the IPL 2021 Final and put in a thrilling display of great practice.
Chennai scored 192/3 in 20 overs and KKR again fell short of the target, this time losing by 27 runs. Du Plessis was named man of the match and also finished behind Ruturaj Gaikwad in the Orange Cap race, notching an astonishing 633 runs for the season.
#1 67*(42) vs. SRH, IPL 2018 Qualifier 1
Faf du Plessis was a true crunch man for CSK and his contribution to the IPL 1 2018 Qualifier against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) remains one of the most clutch displays under franchise pressure.
The target of 140 seemed to chase for Chennai, but they got off to a terrible start. Rashid Khan, Siddarth Kaul and Bhuvneshwar Kumar made massive scrapes in CSK’s chase as the latter reeled at 62/6. However, Du Plessis did not give up as he fixed the turns and also changed gears when needed.
With some capable support from the likes of Deepak Chahar and Chardol Thakur, du Plessis ensured he got the men wearing yellow over the line in dramatic fashion. This victory by two wickets and celebration showed, in the end, how much that strike affected him and his team.
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