Photo Credit: Cricket South Africa
AB de Villiers showed no signs of letting up when he played a key role for Royal Challengers Bangalore in their solitary Indian Premier League (IPL) outing this past week.
The star batsman, along with Faf du Plessis and Kagiso Rabada, continued to fly the South African fly proudly in week two of the 2020 edition of the competition, which is being played out in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The trio, as well as Proteas limited-over captain Quinton de Kock and paceman Anrich Nortje, are the only ones to have played every single game for their respective franchises thus far.
Veteran De Villiers struck a typically aggressive unbeaten 55 off 24 balls, which included four fours and fours sixes, as RCB tied with De Kock’s Mumbai Indians in 201 v 201 on Monday.
The former then combined with Virat Kohli in the Super Over to see their side over the line.
De Kock’s two outings for the defending champions did not go too well as the wicketkeeper scored 14 in that same game and then posted a five-ball duck in a win over Kings XI Punjab on Thursday, a result that helped the Indians sit top of the table.
Meanwhile, Du Plessis continued to be a shining light in a fledgling Chennai Super Kings campaign that has seen them win once in four games.
The retired Proteas Test captain struck 22 off 19 batting as an opener in a seven-run loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad on Friday. After featuring in the first two games for Chennai, Lungi Ngidi was omitted from the team for the next two.
Du Plessis remains third on the batting charts with an aggregate of 195 runs thus far.
Finally, Rabada is second on the wicket-taking list after taking his tally to seven in three games when he claimed two for 21 in Delhi Capitals’ 15-run loss to the Sunrisers.
The young quick has been highly impressive thus far and is part of a strong bowling attack that also features Nortje, who has also played every game thus far but managed none for 40 in the same match.
The likes of Imran Tahir, Chris Morris and Hardus Viljoen will all be hoping to get a game in the coming week.
The full list of South Africans at IPL 2020 are: Faf du Plessis, Lungi Ngidi, Imran Tahir (all Chennai Super Kings), AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn, Chris Morris (all Royal Challengers Bangalore), Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje (both Delhi Capitals), David Miller (Rajasthan Royals), Quinton de Kock (Mumbai Indians), Hardus Viljoen (Kings XI Punjab).
