At nearly 41 years of age, the South African batter continues to defy time, scoring his second T20 century in just 10 days.
With his 41st birthday just weeks away, Faf du Plessis is showing no signs of slowing down. The power and precision in his batting seem untouched by age. Still fresh off his last century in Major League Cricket, du Plessis delivered yet another masterclass, adding a new chapter to the T20 record books.
Playing for Texas Super Kings, du Plessis smashed an unbeaten 103 off 53 balls against MI New York. In the early hours of Monday (Bangladesh time), he led from the front in Dallas with an innings that featured five fours and nine sixes.
Du Plessis has now become the only batter in T20 history to score two centuries after turning 40. His previous century in this tournament came against the San Francisco Unicorns just days earlier.
That knock came on June 20, when he was 40 years and 342 days old — setting the record for the oldest South African to score a T20 century. And now, he’s gone even further, rewriting his own record with this latest hundred at 40 years and 351 days.
He had also scored a T20 century last season at the age of 39 years and 361 days. No one else has managed three T20 centuries after crossing the age of 39.
In terms of oldest centurions in T20s, only two players stand above du Plessis. In 2007, England’s Graeme Hick scored a century at 41 years and 37 days. Ten years later, Paul Collingwood topped that at 41 years and 65 days.
With his 41st birthday coming up on July 13, and given his fitness and red-hot form, du Plessis seems well within reach of those records too.
In the match at Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas, du Plessis’s century, along with a blistering 20-ball 53 from fellow South African Donovan Ferreira, powered Texas to 223 in their 20 overs. In response, MI New York managed 184, despite a valiant 70 off 39 balls from the ever-ageless Kieron Pollard, who struck five sixes and five fours.
With the win, Texas secured their place in the playoffs.
