IPL review: Five SA players who impressed in the T20 competition

The 2021 Indian Premier League comes to its conclusion on Friday evening when the Chennai Super Kings take on the Kolkata Knight Riders in the final.

After starting in India in early April the tournament has taken just over six months to complete after a spike in Covid cases saw it postponed in May, before it restarted in September in the United Arab Emirates.

A number of South Africans were involved in the competition with some given tragically little game time such as the world’s top ranked T20 International bowler Tabraiz Shamsi who played just one game for the Rajasthan Royals, while Imran Tahir has played just once for the Chennai Super Kings and Lungi Ngidi just three times for the same team.

Other South Africans didn’t managed to impress as the IPL’s most expensive signing, ‘Million Dollar Man’ Chris Morris struggled to justify his price tag over the whole tournament for the Rajasthan Royals, Quinton de Kock had a subdued competition for the Mumbai Indians and David Miller was average for the Royals.

Here are five South Africans who impressed over the competition and enhanced their credentials:

Faf du Plessis

The former Proteas captain has been immense for the IPL’s most successful side, the Chennai Super Kings, and is a big reason why they have qualified for yet another final. He is currently ranked fourth on the run scoring charts having amassed an impressive 547 runs at a solid average of 42.07.

Du Plessis is also in the top four batsmen to have scored in excess of 50 runs in an innings with five half centuries to his name and has a highest score of 95 not out that he scored in the pool stage against his final opponents.

Du Plessis has also impressed in the six hitting department and is ranked fourth on the list having hit 20 maximums over the tournament. His opening partnership with Ruturaj Gaikwad has been integral in guiding the Super Kings to the final, with the pair sharing four partnerships over the competition in excess of 50 runs and two in excess of 100.

Anrich Nortje

Anrich Nortje bizarrely did not play a single match for the Delhi Capitals during the first half this year’s IPL in India. However, since the resumption in the UAE he has played in every match for the team and has rewarded them with some brilliant form.

In eight games for the Capitals Nortje has picked up 12 wickets and has managed to pick up a scalp in every match he played. Among bowlers who bowled more than 20 overs (the equivalent of bowling all your overs in five games) during the tournament, Nortje’s average of 15.58 runs per wicket ranks him fourth and strike rate of 15.1 balls per wicket ranks him sixth.

His best bowling figures of 2/12 came in his first match, an easy win against the Sunrisers Hyderabad and he finished the tournament with a solid bowling effort claiming 2/31 in the losing final play-off against the Kolkata Knight Riders.

Aiden Markram

Aiden Markram finally made his IPL debut in the second half of the competition in the UAE after he was signed by the Rajasthan Royals as a replacement for England international Dawid Malan who had made himself unavailable. Markram answered the call with a solid showing in the six games he played, scoring 146 runs at an average of 29.2 and strike rate of 122.68.

He managed to get into double figures in every game he played, reaching at least 20 in four of those matches and top scored with 42 in a loss against the Mumbai Indians.

Markram was also able to display his all-round talents, managing to bowl a couple of overs despite not managing to pick up a wicket, while he showed his prowess in the field as well, taking three catches in a match against the Rajasthan Royals.

AB de Villiers

It was a mixed 2021 IPL campaign for the normally impressive AB de Villiers, who was not his usual explosive self during this season’s edition, although that could be down to him being misused for his team the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Over the competition he was primarily used at number five in the batting order, which worked in the first half of the season when RCB was struggling up front and De Villiers was able to come in and bat for a decent period, but not so much during the second half of the season when he found his chances way more limited.

During the first half in India De Villiers managed a highest score of 76 not out in a win over the Kolkata Knight Riders, while he also managed scores of 75 not out against the Delhi Capitals and 48 against the Mumbai Indians.

In the second half of the tournament in the UAE De Villiers managed a highest score of 26 in eight games due mainly to a lack of time available at the crease. Despite his struggles in the UAE he still managed to score 313 runs over the tournament at an average of 31.3 and a healthy strike rate of 148.34. De Villiers also managed to take eight catches behind the stumps during his seven games as keeper, while he took seven catches in the field as well.

Kagiso Rabada

By his lofty standards Kagiso Rabada would most likely be the first to admit he did not have the best of IPL’s. In the 2020 edition he was the top wicket taker and ranked in the top five of averages and strike rates.

His 2021 edition unfortunately did not reach the same heights, however he still produced a decent showing in helping the Delhi Capitals top the overall table and make it to the final play-off. He claimed 15 wickets in 15 games at an average of 30.4 runs per wicket and strike rate of 22.4 balls per wicket.

Rabada’s best figures were 3/36 against the Punjab Kings during the first half of the competition but he arguably left his best performance for last picking up a valiant 2/23 in a losing cause against the Kolkata Knight Riders in the final play-off.