Happy Birthday Faf du Plessis: List of his amazing records
South African batsman Francois du Plessis turned 36 on Monday. Notably, the former captain had burst on to international cricket in 2010-11. Since then, he has been the backbone of SA's batting line-up. His match-winning knocks across formats made him South Africa's prized possession. As a captain, he took the Proteas to new heights. Today, we look at some of his amazing records.
A look at his international career
Faf du Plessis made his international debut in the 2011 Cape Town ODI against India. He immediately grabbed eyeballs with his 78-ball 60, however, South Africa lost the match by two wickets. Since his debut, the Proteas batsman has amassed 10,815 international runs from 255 matches at 42.41, including 22 tons. Notably, 5,507 of these runs have been registered in the ODI format alone.
First South African batsman to score century across formats
In 2015, Faf du Plessis became the first player from South Africa to slam a century in all three formats. He smashed a 56-ball 119 in the second T20I against West Indies. The blistering knock was studded with 5 sixes and 11 fours. As of now, the South African batsman has managed to score 9 (Test), 12 (ODI) and 1 (T20I) tons.
First South African to slam a ton in Day/Night Tests
Faf du Plessis is also the first Proteas player to have struck a century in a Day/Night Test. He scored an unbeaten 118 (164) in the third Test against Australia at the Adelaide Oval. However, South Africa lost the Test by 7 wickets.
Most international innings before maiden duck
Faf holds the record of playing the most number of international innings before finally getting dismissed for a duck. His record of playing 118 innings without registering a duck stands till date. The incredible streak commenced in January 2011 and ended in December 2014. The Proteas batsman is followed by Samiullah Shinwari (90) and AB de Villiers (84).
Faf du Plessis had a good stint as SA's captain
By 2017, Faf was handed the charge of all three formats. He led the team to series victories in Australia and New Zealand, in testing conditions. Under him, South Africa won 69 out of 112 international games and lost 38. His own batting form elevated after taking over the reigns, especially in ODIs. As a captain, he owns 1,671 ODI runs at 57.62.
