14 years in the Indian Premier League (IPL), and one of the greatest athletes in the game of cricket has decided to not put his name into the IPL 2026 auction. We’re talking about a South African legend, former opening batter, and former captain across all three formats – Faf du Plessis.
In the IPL over the years, we’ve seen him in the jerseys of Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Chennai Super Kings too. He captained RCB for a few seasons but will no longer be seen playing this tournament, choosing the Pakistan Super League (PSL) which is the Pakistan equivalent of this tournament, which chooses to host the league at the same time as the IPL.
Faf du Plessis chooses PSL 2026 over IPL
Faf has always been a crowd favourite in India and now at the age of 41 years old, we think it’s possible that Faf couldn’t live up to the expectations that the IPL has from young smashers at the top of the order. In the last couple of seasons, we’ve seen cricketers opening the powerplay at strike rates of 250-300 and more, which is not easily achievable at Faf’s age. See his official statement on his social media channels below:
OFFICIAL STATEMENT
After 14 seasons in the IPL, I’ve decided not to put my name into the auction this year. It’s a big decision, and one that comes with a lot of gratitude when I look back.
This league has been a massive part of my journey. I’ve been lucky to play with world-class teammates, for amazing franchises, and in front of fans whose passion is like nothing else. India has given me friendships, lessons, and memories that have shaped me as a cricketer and as a person.
To every coach, teammate, support staff member, and every fan who has backed me over the years — thank you. Your support has meant the world.
Fourteen years is a long time, and I’m proud of what this chapter has meant to me. India has a special place in my heart, and this certainly isn’t goodbye — you’ll see me again.
This year, I’ve chosen to take on a new challenge and will be playing in the upcoming PSL season.
It’s an exciting step for me — a chance to experience something new, to grow it as a player, and to embrace a league filled with incredible talent and energy.
A new country. A new environment. A new challenge. I’m looking forward to the Pakistan hospitality. See you all soon.
#PSLNewEra pic.twitter.com/Vqo8fFUjOs
— Faf Du Plessis (@faf1307) November 29, 2025
The competition is at an all-time high in this tournament, and we’ve seen many such players walk away from the IPL to play in other tournaments in recent years. Last year, Australian opener David Warner moved to play PSL 2025 over IPL, considering his demand in the Indian T20 tournament was anyway dwindling over the years.
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Similarly, Kieron Pollard is still playing in the Abu Dhabi T10, Caribbean Premier League and other leagues, but retired from IPL a couple of seasons back. Faf himself is currently playing in the UAE T10 league and has been making some good scores too, so it doesn’t feel like he’s anyway below optimal fitness. Check out some of his records in yello for CSK:
Faf Du Plessis for CSK
– Most 100 Runs Partnership
– Most Runs by an Overseas batter
– Most Fifties by an OS batter
– Most Sixes by an OS batter
-Most Fours by an OS Batter
– Most Catches by an OS PlayerGOAT Retires from IPL. @faf1307 🦁💛#WhistlePodu #IPL #CSK #IPL2025 pic.twitter.com/8XqTqRtED0
— MSDian™ (@ItzThanesh) November 29, 2025
“Only player who is loved by both RCB and CSK fans ….thank you Faf 🫶” was one of the most popular fan comments on Faf’s Instagram post, while another popular one was, “Bro sell lambo and buying cycle Faf PSL is not for u 😭😭😭” and yet another one was, “Bro sell a TV to buy a remote 😢.”
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