After appearing in all 14 seasons of Indian Premier League (IPL)South Africa’s legendary batsman Faf du Plessis Has decided to pull out of the tournament this time. He won’t register for it ipl 2026 auctionIt is scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi on 17 December.
Why has Faf du Plessis ruled himself out of the IPL 2026 auction?
In an official statement on his social media handle, Du Plessis confirmed that he has decided not to register for the IPL 2026 auction and will instead play the 2026 season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). He described the move as a chance to experience a different league, conditions and environment “Exciting Step” For the final phase of his career. The 41-year-old has previously featured in the PSL for some time and is now planning to play the full season there.
Du Plessis said that after playing in every season of the IPL, he felt this year was the right time to step away from the tournament and think about what the league means to him. He described the IPL as a good one and thanked the franchise, teammates, coaches and fans. “huge portion” about his visit and emphasizing that India holds a “special place” adding to her heart “it is not goodbye” And he hopes that he will be seen in the league again in the future.
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Du Plessis’s IPL stats
The decision also comes after a modest IPL 2025 performance with Delhi Capitals (DC), where he scored 202 runs at an average of around 22 in nine matches and was not retained ahead of the 2026 mini-auction. With age, recent returns and team strategies, he decided not to test the auction market this year, avoiding the possibility of going unsold and focusing his attention solely on PSL opportunities.
Overall, Du Plessis has scored 4,773 runs in 154 IPL matches at an average of 35.10 and a strike rate of 135.79, including 39 fifties but no centuries – his highest score being 96. The Proteas star delivered an extraordinary season of 730 runs in 2023. Royal Challengers Bangalore (Avg 56.15, SR 153.68, 8 fifties) and 633 for Chennai Super Kings in 2021 (Avg 45.21, SR 138.21, 6 fifties). He contributed 2,721 runs for CSK over multiple stints, including IPL titles in 2012 and 2021, before leading RCB’s batting with 1,636 runs (730 being his peak in 2023) from 2022-2024. Released by Delhi Capitals after 2025, Du Plessis has no IPL bowling wickets (0/16 best) but has been excellent in the field with 85 catches.
