PSL over IPL! Faf du Plessis pulls out of Indian Premier League to play in Pak

Former South Africa skipper and long-time IPL stalwart Faf du Plessis has confirmed helium volition not participate his sanction successful the upcoming IPL auction, choosing alternatively to enactment successful the Pakistan Super League. The announcement came connected Sunday, 29 November — hardly 2 weeks earlier the 15 December auction successful Abu Dhabi, thereby marking a notable displacement for 1 of the astir reliable overseas performers the IPL has seen.

Du Plessis, who archetypal joined Chennai Super Kings successful 2013, became portion of the franchise’s halfway astir instantly, admired for his consistency, athleticism and composure successful high-pressure games. He spent 7 seasons with CSK and reunited with MS Dhoni during the Rising Pune Supergiant stint successful 2016 and 2017.

His finest IPL run arrived during CSK’s rubric tally successful 2021, scoring 633 runs and finishing conscionable 2 runs down Ruturaj Gaikwad successful the Orange Cap tally. Yet, CSK released him earlier the 2022 mega auction, allowing Royal Challengers Bengaluru to motion him and manus him the captaincy for the 2022–24 seasons. He thrived successful the role. His 730-run effort successful 2023 remains among the standout seasons by an RCB captain. In 2025, helium turned retired for Delhi Capitals, scoring 202 runs successful 9 matches earlier wounded chopped his tourney short.

Across 14 seasons, du Plessis built an IPL grounds fewer overseas players tin match: 4,773 runs successful 154 matches astatine an mean of 35.10 and a onslaught complaint of 135.79. “After 14 seasons successful the IPL, I’ve decided not to enactment my sanction into the auction this year,” helium wrote, thanking franchises, teammates and fans for shaping his journey. He stressed this determination is not a farewell to India, saying, “India has a peculiar spot successful my heart… this surely isn’t goodbye.” Du Plessis volition present displacement his absorption to the PSL, wherever helium antecedently represented Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators. “A caller country. A caller environment. A caller challenge,” helium said, looking guardant to the return.