Faf du Plessis creates historic T20 milestone, becomes only South African batter to…
Faf du Plessis Milestone: Age is clearly just a number for Faf du Plessis. On Tuesday, the 41-year-old veteran didn’t just play a knock; he etched his name into the history books by becoming the first South African to cross 12,000 runs in T20 cricket.
Playing for the Johannesburg Super Kings (JSK) against MI Cape Town at Newlands, Faf was in a destructive mood. He hammered a fiery 44 off just 21 balls (some reports say 43 off 18), taking down spearheads like Kagiso Rabada and Trent Boult before the rain interrupted.
The “Oldest” to Reach the Summit
While reaching 12,000 runs is rare, he’s only the 10th player in history to do it—the manner in which he did it is what’s turning heads. At 41 years and 178 days, Faf is now the oldest player to reach this milestone, surpassing the legendary Shoaib Malik.
It’s a testament to his elite fitness. While most players are transitioning to coaching or commentary at this age, Du Plessis is still taking the world’s best fast bowlers to the cleaners.
South Africa’s T20 Run-Scoring Elite
Faf has officially pulled away from his peers, but there’s a serious race for the second spot:
| Rank | Player | T20 Runs |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Faf du Plessis | 12,002 |
| 2 | Quinton de Kock | 11,813 |
| 3 | David Miller | 11,631 |
| 4 | Rilee Rossouw | 9,705 |
| 5 | AB de Villiers | 9,424 |
Bittersweet Milestone
Unfortunately, the personal record didn’t come with a team win. In a rain-curtailed 12-overs-a-side match, MI Cape Town’s Nicholas Pooran stole the show with a brutal 33, helping his side chase down the revised DLS target of 128 with four balls to spare.
Despite JSK’s loss, Faf’s form is a massive positive. He had a slow start to the SA20 2026 season, but this vintage knock suggests the “King of Joburg” is back. With Quinton de Kock only 187 runs behind him, the battle for the top spot in South African T20 history is far from over.