South African batter Faf du Plessis has made a major career decision by skipping the IPL 2026 auction and shifting his focus entirely to the Pakistan Super League (PSL) for the upcoming season.
Du Plessis said he wanted a new challenge and a fresh environment.
He shared:
“This year, I’ve decided to embrace a fresh challenge by joining the PSL. It’s a league full of energy and talent, and I’m excited to experience the famous Pakistani hospitality.”
In the 2025 IPL season, du Plessis scored 202 runs in 9 matches for Delhi Capitals and even captained the team when Axar Patel was injured. However, the franchise released him ahead of the 2026 auction.
With 154 IPL games to his name, he is the fourth-highest overseas run-scorer and has represented several franchises, including CSK, RCB, DC, and Rising Pune. He also won two IPL titles with Chennai Super Kings.
This won’t be his first PSL appearance — he previously played for Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators between 2019 and 2021.
The IPL 2026 schedule (March–May) clashes directly with the PSL 2026 window (April–May), meaning du Plessis had to pick one league — and he chose Pakistan.
