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Faf du Plessis pulls out of IPL 2026 mini-auction to feature in Pakistan Super League

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In a significant development, South Africa legend Faf Du Plessis has decided to not take part in IPL 2026. The former Delhi Capitals opener took to social media platform to inform fans about his decision and also revealed that he would be featuring in Pakistan Super League (PSL) next year.

Du Plessis featured in the IPL for 14 good years and his latest stint was with Delhi Capitals in IPL 2025. Following a disastrous season, the Capitals decided to part ways with the right-handed batter ahead of IPL 2026 mini-auction.

Meanwhile, Du Plessis has clarified that he isn't retiring from the IPL, rather opting for a new challenge for next year and wants to try himself out in the PSL. In the same post, Du Plessis clarified that he will return to play in the IPL in the future.

WhatsApp Image 2025-11-29 at 6.35.06 PM.jpeg
 
PakFan2010 said:
Because a franchise has already reached out to him.
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IMO this doesn’t bode well for PSL

It’s a clear declaration of IPL retired/washed up players league

The roster last year was very good, some excellent players didn’t get picked up.

Cooper Connolly and Lhuan De Pretorious were part of the draft but no one picked them. You don’t need these washed up players!
 
Player movements between teams and leagues should be considered normal, however, many Indians get overly patriotic, when they take a player they act like they have conquered Pakistan, and anyone who leaves will face criticism and abuse.

I hope Indians can behave respectfully here towards Faf.
 
Rana said:
IMO this doesn’t bode well for PSL

It’s a clear declaration of IPL retired/washed up players league

The roster last year was very good, some excellent players didn’t get picked up.

Cooper Connolly and Lhuan De Pretorious were part of the draft but no one picked them. You don’t need these washed up players!
Click to expand...
Nothing wrong with it. He can teach a lot to our younger players who will learn what professionalism looks like from some of these guys.

PSL position will naturally become the league for youngsters at the start of their career and older players towards their end. It is what it is and we should maximise what we can get from these players.

PSL is the main independent league that exists without being artificially propped up by Indian money. We aren't going to be able to go toe to toe with the IPL so need to find our niche and as long as it ultimately benefits our cricketers its fine.
 
In the next 1-2 years, I can see Maxi playing in the PSL after being released by IPL franchisee . :kp
 
If PSL wants to thrive - they should focus on younger players , not on 40 year olds who are not good enuff for IPL any more

These 40 year olds have little motivation to perform. They will just come & pick up their pay cheques. At least younger folks will be trying to showcase their skills
 
Not sure the PSL should be happy about this, having too many has been, retired players, IPL rejects will be damaging.
 
This is most embarrassing and irritating issue for the pr of any league .it says we are not good enough to get a good prospect and our league is the last stop before going to home/shed.
 
DeadlyVenom said:
Player movements between teams and leagues should be considered normal, however, many Indians get overly patriotic, when they take a player they act like they have conquered Pakistan, and anyone who leaves will face criticism and abuse.

I hope Indians can behave respectfully here towards Faf.
Click to expand...
Have you seen Pakistan's people's reactions on social Media.

Breaking news - Fad choose PSL over IPL , PSL is brand. PSL is better than IPL 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

:klopp :kp
 
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not sure why this is a big deal, the PSL will never be able to compete for players with the IPL, and running concurently and taking IPL rejects is an excellent way of at least ensuring consistency of standard. faf is a quality player, and if his standards of professionalism, knowledge, etc, can rub off on even one or two younger pak players, its worth it.

the PSL has decent level of local talent, it doesnt need too many imports to challenge to be the second best league. what it needs is greater consistency of production standards, greater franchise activty in the off season, and development of the brand. lack of opeartional professionalism is a bigger problem then lack of player quality imo.
 
He was going to be unsold. Probably saved himself from the embarassment. Good luck to him for rest of the career.
 
Kianig89 said:
Maybe Du Plessis knew he would go unsold at IPl so the wise decision
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Probably sold at base price. But IPL is pretty long now and year after year of playing it in an overseas environment can be challenging mentally for some.
 
RidiculousMan said:
Probably sold at base price. But IPL is pretty long now and year after year of playing it in an overseas environment can be challenging mentally for some.
Click to expand...
Faf learned from warner mistake, he knew that after last year’s performance & his age factor, he would go unsold, so he withdrew from the auction beforehand and did the face saving, Even last year he was picked at just his base price just by single bid of delhi capitals in the end

:kp
 
DeadlyVenom said:
Nothing wrong with it. He can teach a lot to our younger players who will learn what professionalism looks like from some of these guys.

PSL position will naturally become the league for youngsters at the start of their career and older players towards their end. It is what it is and we should maximise what we can get from these players.

PSL is the main independent league that exists without being artificially propped up by Indian money. We aren't going to be able to go toe to toe with the IPL so need to find our niche and as long as it ultimately benefits our cricketers its fine.
Click to expand...
What is artificially propped up?
 
ElRaja said:
not sure why this is a big deal, the PSL will never be able to compete for players with the IPL, and running concurently and taking IPL rejects is an excellent way of at least ensuring consistency of standard. faf is a quality player, and if his standards of professionalism, knowledge, etc, can rub off on even one or two younger pak players, its worth it.

the PSL has decent level of local talent, it doesnt need too many imports to challenge to be the second best league. what it needs is greater consistency of production standards, greater franchise activty in the off season, and development of the brand. lack of opeartional professionalism is a bigger problem then lack of player quality imo.
Click to expand...
47 year old Dhoni and Faf playing in IPL a few months ago = not embarrassing.

Faf joins PSL = embarrassing for the league

Indian logic :sachin
 
Rana said:
IMO this doesn’t bode well for PSL

It’s a clear declaration of IPL retired/washed up players league

The roster last year was very good, some excellent players didn’t get picked up.

Cooper Connolly and Lhuan De Pretorious were part of the draft but no one picked them. You don’t need these washed up players!
Click to expand...
Faf is a great player and an even better influence in the locker-room. Not everything has to be geared towards having the best talent, you also need to have your younger players rubbing shoulders with experienced guys like Faf so they can learn more about the little things, that are just as important as the big-picture things.

Also, PSL has always been a league of retired/washed up IPL players. Faf coming on won't change that.
 
It wouldn't surprise me, if an offer is made to him to not just be a marquee player for a new franchise but also potentially become that new teams captain. Maybe the new teams coach convinced him to sign with them.
 
DeadlyVenom said:
Nothing wrong with it. He can teach a lot to our younger players who will learn what professionalism looks like from some of these guys.

PSL position will naturally become the league for youngsters at the start of their career and older players towards their end. It is what it is and we should maximise what we can get from these players.

PSL is the main independent league that exists without being artificially propped up by Indian money. We aren't going to be able to go toe to toe with the IPL so need to find our niche and as long as it ultimately benefits our cricketers its fine.
Click to expand...
I think alot of people on this thread need to open their eyes and accept the reality. PSL has always been a feeder league for IPL, and that will continue to be the case because PSL doesn't pay nearly as much as IPL or even some of the other top leagues like SA20, and because they run PSL; either during the IPL window or during the home seasons of alot of top teams.

On top of that, PSL has always been made up of IPL rejects/washed up players and some of the more obscure foreign talent. I don't see what's wrong with that. Ultimately, any league is defined by the quality of cricket, which has more to do with local talent than foreign talent. That's what our focus should be on, rather than fixating on who is washed up and supposedly not good enough to play in this league.
 
cricketjoshila said:
Why artificial?
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I am not convinced of their commercial viability or long term sustainability.

It reminds me a bit of NFT boom in cryptocurrency.

And from a non commercial perspective the teams are pretty fake and artificial anyway.
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
I think alot of people on this thread need to open their eyes and accept the reality. PSL has always been a feeder league for IPL, and that will continue to be the case because PSL doesn't pay nearly as much as IPL or even some of the other top leagues like SA20, and because they run PSL; either during the IPL window or during the home seasons of alot of top teams.

On top of that, PSL has always been made up of IPL rejects/washed up players and some of the more obscure foreign talent. I don't see what's wrong with that. Ultimately, any league is defined by the quality of cricket, which has more to do with local talent than foreign talent. That's what our focus should be on, rather than fixating on who is washed up and supposedly not good enough to play in this league.
Click to expand...
If PSL can become big. With more money of course. There's a possibility and some active players might choose PSL. Just because IPL in comparison is very lengthy. But the money bag needs to be significantly big
 
RidiculousMan said:
If PSL can become big. With more money of course. There's a possibility and some active players might choose PSL. Just because IPL in comparison is very lengthy. But the money bag needs to be significantly big
Click to expand...
PSL's ability to grow has everything to do with Pakistan's economy, since PSL doesn't have cash-rich IPL owners buying teams like in the SA20. It'll happen but will likely take some time.
 
DeadlyVenom said:
I am not convinced of their commercial viability or long term sustainability.

It reminds me a bit of NFT boom in cryptocurrency.

And from a non commercial perspective the teams are pretty fake and artificial anyway.
Click to expand...
I don't feel this is true for SA20 and Hundred. It definitely is for ILT20 and to some extent, CPL.
 
Ball Blazer said:
At least we do not steal. Remember Corbin Bosch? Play fair!

Good for PSL anyways.
Click to expand...
Hahahahaha hahahaha hahahaha hahahaha .

Trophy Chor Naqvi say hi hello.

Please don't embarassing youself infront of me because I know what is happening around the World.

:klopp :kp
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
I don't feel this is true for SA20 and Hundred. It definitely is for ILT20 and to some extent, CPL.
Click to expand...
The hundred was on the brink of failing that really sold the Indians some long term vision to get some cash injection and we seen the mess that South Africans made of their own league when they had a go the first time.

Anyway these leagues may or may not fail, but I think it's important to acknowledge the independence of PSL and despite them not doing a great job the franchisees and league have kept things going in tough circumstances and it deserves some praise.
 
Devadwal said:
Have you seen Pakistan's people's reactions on social Media.

Breaking news - Fad choose PSL over IPL , PSL is brand. PSL is better than IPL 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

No wonder Pakistanis are the most delusional people in the world and can claim false victory even from a humiliating situation.

:klopp :kp
Click to expand...
No body is saying PSL is better than IPL.There is no need to compare the two.Indians can watch IPL matches and Pakistanis can watch PSL.I don’t watch any IPL matches not because it is a poor quality league.I have no interest in Indian sport or anything else.
 
No one argues that PSL comes close to IPL, they have the money, it's not even close.

Faf wasnt going to be picked, thats obvious. But he could have quietly withdrawn from the auction and turned up to the PSL like many cricketers do.

But making a public statement like this, he must have known the headlines it would generate. And he may be finished as a player but he's been touted as a captain/ leader for a while and will inevitably go to coaching positions so will be in demand with franchises around the world.

So in a way it is good for PSL that he publicly came out and said this despite having something to lose.
 
DeadlyVenom said:
The hundred was on the brink of failing that really sold the Indians some long term vision to get some cash injection and we seen the mess that South Africans made of their own league when they had a go the first time.

Anyway these leagues may or may not fail, but I think it's important to acknowledge the independence of PSL and despite them not doing a great job the franchisees and league have kept things going in tough circumstances and it deserves some praise.
Click to expand...
The Hundred was launched on a completely unsustainable central-ownership model that never should have been launched in the first place. ECB were so fixated on selling it as a 'alternative' to cricket and launching it as quickly as possible, that they didn't think to consider that it was infact cricket and that you can't have the cricket board owning all the cricket teams in this kind of a major league, because it's too expensive. So that aspect was always doomed to fail. South Africa's Global T20 failed because of a number of issues, the biggest of which was their inability to acquire a broadcasting deal.

But none of that reflects on the economies of England and South Africa per se, which have strong market fundamentals i.e passionate fanbases, high viewership, and a top-tier cricket economy. England has a stable economy, a population with high disposable income and proven viewership and attendances for the sport of cricket. South Africa is more of a growing economy, but still has a deep, passionate cricket culture with huge untapped commercial potential.

Indian owners may have put in the money but long-term, it's because of ^those reasons that these leagues will succeed.
 
Devadwal said:
He is unlikely to pick-up in IPL so obviously washup player's Only Play in one league that is PSL. Good for him. :klopp :kp
Click to expand...
What else you guys can say , sheer embarrassment . Faf is still one of the most sought after cricketer in T20 leagues all over the world .
 
Maybe some team wants him as captain and hence early notice...

Anyway good for PSL overall.
 
PSL will gain nothing by having a 40+ Du Plessis, would rather take a rookie explosive Oz batter over a pensioner , somebody like JFM
 
Rana said:
IMO this doesn’t bode well for PSL

It’s a clear declaration of IPL retired/washed up players league

The roster last year was very good, some excellent players didn’t get picked up.

Cooper Connolly and Lhuan De Pretorious were part of the draft but no one picked them. You don’t need these washed up players!
Click to expand...
This. PSL should not pick washed up IPL players . Better to scout and pick young SENAW players with potential than 41/42 year old Faf.
 
Faf is old and I think he just wants to enjoy PSL before he bids farewell to franchise cricket... Wants to try new things I think...
 
Faf is still a good enough player to bring a lot to any locker room he is a part of. Good for PSL. But PSL needs to move away from the draft model so the franchises can choose the best players available from the pool.
 
Good money to be earnt at retirement super league

Where the likes of Darren sammy etc become 'legends' of the league lol
 
Russell is Also retired from IPL after release by KKR, Time for PSL to takes him as well :kp
 
DeadlyVenom said:
I am not convinced of their commercial viability or long term sustainability.

It reminds me a bit of NFT boom in cryptocurrency.

And from a non commercial perspective the teams are pretty fake and artificial anyway.
Click to expand...
SA20 is very popular and is successful
 
DeadlyVenom said:
I am not convinced of their commercial viability or long term sustainability.

It reminds me a bit of NFT boom in cryptocurrency.

And from a non commercial perspective the teams are pretty fake and artificial anyway.
Click to expand...
Commercial success is very important or the league just folds up
 
Andre Russell chose to retire from the IPL after being dropped and released by KKR, he didn't want to play for any other IPL franchise. He instead wants to stay on in KKR as their power hitting coach. Talk about loyalty.

He won't even think about the PSL. Wasim Akram complained about a foreign player who was throwing tantrums on having to share money from his man of the match awards with the team support staff and that he had to sternly put him in line, I believe he was referring to Russel who has never been seen in the PSL since.
 
DeadlyVenom said:
Player movements between teams and leagues should be considered normal, however, many Indians get overly patriotic, when they take a player they act like they have conquered Pakistan, and anyone who leaves will face criticism and abuse.

I hope Indians can behave respectfully here towards Faf.
Click to expand...
The minute i saw the news on times of India or some other website, i knew a thread wold come up with the usual national chest thumping and one upmanship.
Both leagues are private enterprises albeit backed by their respective boards. Faf did'nt come to IPL represent SAF or will play in PSL representing SAF - he's a professional player free to choose or reject where he wants to play.
No body that i know acted like they conquered another country when it comes to any player choosing ABC league or xyz league or even inside the league choosing to play for Biradiripur Bagsnatchers over the Popocateptel Pickpockets.

no one cares, let him play whereever whenever.

On the contrary, my Pak Mate has shown me a few social sites where a few pakistanis have jumped up and down as if ants got into their pants or they managed to pitch stumps on the dark side of the moon and have pioneered some intergalactic T20 slug fest.

Good luck to Faf - fantastic player and person!
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
PSL's ability to grow has everything to do with Pakistan's economy, since PSL doesn't have cash-rich IPL owners buying teams like in the SA20. It'll happen but will likely take some time.
Click to expand...
And pcb willl need to be professional not whimsical.

No big money guy will want to invest and then want to have to deal with whims of pcb administration. Look at th ali khan situation
 
I don’t know what’s more pathetic - Pakistan fans celebrating these retired uncles coming to PSL or Indian fans going on social media and justifying why they are choosing PSL over IPL.
 
Rumours that Maxwell will play for Peshawar Zalmi this season.
 
Faf is an IPL Legend. He has gotten older. One of the rare batsman without an IPL century over a period of 12 years for an opener. But played so many clutch knocks. Last season he was not finding the same touch he used to. He can guide youngsters share his wisdom. Could be a mentor cum team mate.
 
3 England Cricketers who are not allowed in IPL Mini auction 2026

BEN STOKES - Stokes didn’t register for IPL2025 Mega auction hence he cannot enter the IPL 2026 Mini auction as per BCCI rules

HARRY BROOK - Brook pulled out of IPL2025 at the last minute due to personal reasons hence he also cannot enter mini auction

JASON ROY - He also didn’t register for IPL2025 and pulled out of IPL 2024 hence he is not eligible to enter mini auction 2026

PSL should Target these player's.

:kp
 
Devadwal said:
3 England Cricketers who are not allowed in IPL Mini auction 2026

BEN STOKES - Stokes didn’t register for IPL2025 Mega auction hence he cannot enter the IPL 2026 Mini auction as per BCCI rules

HARRY BROOK - Brook pulled out of IPL2025 at the last minute due to personal reasons hence he also cannot enter mini auction

JASON ROY - He also didn’t register for IPL2025 and pulled out of IPL 2024 hence he is not eligible to enter mini auction 2026

PSL should Target these player's.

:kp
Click to expand...
I dont think they will go after Roy

And if the Ashes ends in humuliation Brook and Stokes wont enter their names in the list.
 
Devadwal said:
3 England Cricketers who are not allowed in IPL Mini auction 2026

BEN STOKES - Stokes didn’t register for IPL2025 Mega auction hence he cannot enter the IPL 2026 Mini auction as per BCCI rules

HARRY BROOK - Brook pulled out of IPL2025 at the last minute due to personal reasons hence he also cannot enter mini auction

JASON ROY - He also didn’t register for IPL2025 and pulled out of IPL 2024 hence he is not eligible to enter mini auction 2026

PSL should Target these player's.

:kp
Click to expand...

Brook and Stokes will unlikely play in the PSL. The ECB has a strict no T20 Noc policy for leagues apart from the IPL during the middle of the English County season. Also now that PSL is likely going to be a two month affair almost with 8 teams, the PSL doesn't pay foreign players enough to come and stay in Pakistan for that long, they also cannot bring their families over and move around freely in Pakistan unlike Dubai or India.
 
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