The Indian Premier League (IPL) is the most famous T20 league in world cricket. It started in 2008 with 8 teams but currently, it features 10 teams. Top cricketers worldwide have featured in this cash-rich league over the years. It draws a lot of viewership from India and all around the world too. Just like other countries, players from South Africa also have actively participated in this league. In this article, we will have a look at the top 10 South African batsmen to have featured in this world famous tournament.
1. Ab De Villiers
de Villiers is perhaps the most entertaining player to have played the league. Due to his ability to play a wide number of shots and hit the ball all around the park, he has also earned the nickname ‘Mr. 360’. He played in this league since its inception in 2008 when he represented the Delhi Daredevils. Then he was bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore where he earned great fame. Though he failed to win a single IPL trophy during his tenure, his batting figures were excellent. He has scored a mammoth 5162 runs in the 170 innings he played, having a strike rate of 151.68 which includes 40 half-centuries and 3 centuries as well. His excellent batting figures make him rank 1st in this list.
2. Faf Du Plessis
Faf is a right-handed batsman who has been playing in the IPL since 2012, when he was bought by the Chennai franchise. Slowly and steadily, he established himself as one of the best batsmen in the league. He is currently the captain of the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Apart from these 2 teams, he has also played for the Rising Pune Supergiants for a couple of years. In the 123 innings he played overall, he has scored 4133 runs, including 33 half-centuries. His strike rate is around 134.
3. Quinton De Kock
Quinton De Kock is a left-hander wicketkeeper-batsman from South Africa who has represented his national side in all 3 formats of the game. He is a superb opening batsman who currently plays for the Lucknow Super Giants. He has played for a number of other franchises as well including SRH, DC, RCB and MI. In the 96 matches he played in the league, he has accumulated a total of 2907 runs, including 20 half-centuries and a couple of centuries too. His highest score of 140 not out came against the Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2022 season.
4. David Miller
Another prolific batsman to have featured in the IPL is this left-hand batsman from South Africa. He has played for the Rajasthan Royals, Kings XI Punjab and the Gujrat Titans over the years. He has scored 2714 runs in the 121 matches he played in this league and also played a crucial role in Gujrat’s title-winning season in 2022. He is a hard-hitting finisher who has scored 12 half-centuries and one century as well. His highest score of 101* came in just 38 balls against the RCB in the 2013 season.
5. Jacques Kallis
One of the best all-rounders the world has ever seen is Jacques Kallis. He started playing IPL from the inaugural season itself for the Royal Challengers. However, he was bought by the Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2011 auction. He has played 96 matches in the league and scored 2427 runs overall. He was an important player in KKR’s title-winning seasons in 2012 and 2014. He played from 2008 to 2014 and his highest score was 89 not out.
6. Jp Duminy
Another all-rounder from South Africa who has been quite successful in the IPL is Jean-Paul Duminy. He is a batting all-rounder who has represented the teams from Delhi and Mumbai. He played from 2008 till 2018 and scored 2029 runs in 77 innings, striking at a rate of just over 124. He also has 14 half-centuries to his name.
7. Albie Morkel
Albie Morkel is another all-rounder from South Africa who has played in the IPL from 2008 till 2016. In the first six years of his IPL career, he played for the Chennai Super Kings, where he also won the trophy in 2010 and 2011. Then he went on to represent other teams as well like the Royal Challengers, the Delhi Daredevils and also the Rising Pune Supergiants. In the 68 innings he had batted, he scored a total of 974 runs, having a strike-rate of 141.98 and a highest score of 73 not out.
8. Herschelle Gibbs
This bashing opener from South Africa represented the Deccan Chargers and the Mumbai Indians during his stint in the IPL. He also won the trophy with the Deccan Chargers in the 2009 edition. He played 5 seasons in the IPL from 2008 till 2012 and scored a total of 886 runs in the 36 games. He scored 6 half-centuries and had a highest score of 69 not out. Gibbs ranks 8th in this list.
9. Aiden Markram
Aiden Markram is the current T20i captain of his national team. In 2021, he joined the Punjab Kings in the IPL to replace Dawid Malan and has impressed since then. In 2022, he was bought by the Hyderabad franchise and was made their captain for the 2023 season. In the 33 matches he played in the IPL, he has scored 775 runs, with a strike rate of 131.36. He has scored 4 half-centuries overall, his highest score being 68 not out.
10. Graeme Smith
The former captain of South Africa, Graeme Smith is a left-hand batsman who played in the IPL for 4 seasons. During his first three seasons, he played for the Rajasthan Royals and also won the IPL title in the inaugural season. In 2011, he was bought by the then-newly introduced team, the Pune Warriors India. He scored 739 runs in the 30 matches he played overall, scoring 4 half-centuries. His highest was 91. He ranks 10th in this list.
