SA players in the IPL: How they have fared thus far

Three weeks into the two-month tournament, some South Africans have already played key roles for their Indian Premier League (IPL) teams. Others haven’t made a dent.

Here’s a look at how the SA contingent have done thus far in the world’s most popular and lucrative T20 competition.

Tristan Stubbs

One of a handful of SA batters who have stood out, Stubbs is the seventh-highest run scorer in the competition. In the six matches he has played for Delhi Capitals, he has bashed 189 runs at an average of 63.00 and an impressive strike rate of 190.90. He has also racked up two fifties.

Heinrich Klaasen

In the T20 format, Klaasen is undoubtedly one of the world’s best players, and he continues to shine for Sunrisers Hyderabad. He has made 186 runs in five matches at an average of 62.00 and a strike rate of 193.75, including two half-centuries. The big-hitting batter is just behind Stubbs, as the eighth-highest run scorer, having smashed 17 sixes in the process.

Faf du Plessis

The captain of Royal Challengers Bengaluru is one of the most reliable batters on the planet, and his stats thus far are not far off Klaasen and Stubbs. In six innings he has made 170 runs at an average of just 28.33, but he has contributed more than 40 runs on two occasions, leading his team from the front.

Quinton de Kock

Another SA player who has hit two half-centuries in the tournament, in the five games he has played for Lucknow Super Giants, De Kock has done relatively well. He has contributed 164 runs at an average of 32.80.

Aiden Markram

The Proteas T20 captain hasn’t had quite as much impact as his compatriots listed above, but he has been useful for Sunrisers Hyderabad. Markram has made only one half-century in his five innings at the crease, but he has compiled a total of 127 runs at an average of 31.75, and he adds real value as a leader on the field.

David Miller

Bringing a wealth of experience to his Gujarat Titans team, Miller has had only three knocks with the bat, but he’s done well enough with the chances he’s been given. In three innings he has made just 77 runs at an average of 38.50, but he boasts a strike rate of 142.59 and has achieved a top score of 44 not out.

Dewald Brevis

Somewhat of an anomaly, 20-year-old Brevis has been tipped for some time as the next big thing in South African cricket. But he seems to struggle under pressure and has again been inconsistent for the Mumbai Indians. In the two matches he has played, he made 46 runs off 39 balls in the first and was removed for a duck in the second.

Gerald Coetzee

One of the best SA bowlers in the tournament, at this stage, Coetzee is tied fourth among the highest wicket-takers with eight scalps from five matches for Mumbai Indians at an average of 24.50. Though he has an economy rate of 10.59, the paceman boasts best match figures of 4/34, having helped his team to victory over Delhi Capitals.

Kagiso Rabada

He hasn’t taken as many wickets as Coetzee, but Rabada is not far behind. He has grabbed seven scalps in five matches at an average 24.71. Most useful for his Punjab Kings team has been his economy rate of 8.65, and his experience with the ball continues to ensure the seamer adds real value against the global elite.

Nandre Burger

Another seamer who has done well for his Rajasthan Royals side, Burger has raked in six wickets in four matches. And the rest of his stats have been equally good, with an average of 20.66 and an economy rate of 8.85, which is no disgrace against the world’s best batters in the tough T20 format which is suited to batters.

Anrich Nortje

South Africa’s fastest export with a cricket ball in hand, Nortje has shaken off injuries which ended his hopes of competing at last year’s ODI World Cup. Proving he has fully recovered. He has taken six wickets in four matches for Delhi Capitals, but he has been more expensive than his side would like with an economy rate of 13.43.

Marco Jansen

Having played only one match, all-rounder Jansen hasn’t had a real chance to shine for Sunrisers Hyderabad. And he let his lone opportunity slip. He gave away 40 runs in three overs with the ball against Kolkata Knight Riders, without taking a wicket, and he hit one run after stepping to the crease with a single delivery left in his team’s innings.

Kwena Maphaka

Maphaka has a lot to learn but he is gaining valuable experience at the highest level of the T20 game. The teenager, who turned 18 this week, has been thrown in the deep end and has understandably struggled for Mumbai Indians. In two matches he has taken just one wicket at an average of 89.00 and a strike rate of 14.83.

Rilee Roussouw

The 34-year-old top-order batter has not yet had a game. He is the eighth most expensive player in this year’s tournament (and the highest paid South African) with Punjab Kings paying R18 million for his services. But they have left him on the sidelines thus far, and he will have to wait before he has a chance to prove his value.

Donovan Ferreira

The batting all-rounder has also not yet had an opportunity to take to the field. A former salesman by profession who has rocketed through the ranks in the T20 format in recent years, Ferreira still has plenty of time to showcase his ability in the tournament for Rajasthan Royals, but like Rossouw, he will have to be patient.