• Saffas in 2024 IPL: Who fired, who flopped

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    SACricketmag.com’s SIMON BORCHARDT looks at how South Africa’s 17 representatives fared in this year’s IPL.

    TRISTAN STUBBS (DELHI CAPITALS)
    Matches: 14
    Innings: 13
    Runs: 378
    Average: 54.00
    Strike rate: 190.90
    Stubbs had an outstanding campaign for the Capitals, and the Proteas will hope he carries that form into the T20 World Cup. The 23-year-old struck three fifties, including a highest score of 71* off 25 balls against the Mumbai Indians that included seven sixes. He memorably smashed a six to secure victory against the Lucknow Super Giants, and climbed into Mumbai again with 48* off 25 deliveries, including 26 runs off a Luke Wood over.

    FAF DU PLESSIS (ROYAL CHALLENGERS BENGALURU)
    Matches: 15
    Innings: 15
    Runs: 438
    Average: 29.20
    Strike rate: 161.62
    The RCB captain played a leading role in his team’s big turnaround, as they won their last six matches of the league stage by significant margins to sneak into the playoffs on net run rate ahead of three other teams. The 39-year-old struck four fifties during the league stage, including a crucial 54 during their last league match against the Chennai Super Kings. He also took a brilliant one-handed catch.

    HEINRICH KLAASEN (SUNRISERS HYDERABAD)
    Matches: 16
    Innings: 15
    Runs: 479
    Average: 39.91
    Strike rate: 171.07
    The big-hitting Protea has been a class act for a Sunrisers team that smashed batting records on their way to finishing second on the IPL log. His four fifties included a 31-ball 67 that helped propel Hyderabad to 287-3 – the highest IPL total in history – against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and a hard-fought 50 off 34 balls in the second qualifier playoff against the Rajasthan Royals. Klaasen has also contributed behind the stumps with eight catches and two stumpings.

    GERALD COETZEE (MUMBAI INDIANS)
    Matches: 10
    Overs: 33.3
    Runs: 341
    Wickets: 13
    Average: 26.23
    Strike rate: 15.4
    Economy: 10.17
    The Proteas fast bowler gave his all for a Mumbai Indians team that finished bottom of the log, but wasn’t selected for their last three matches as under-pressure coach Mark Boucher opted to give local players a go after their playoff hopes ended. Coetzee’s best performance came against the Delhi Capitals when he took three wickets in the final over to return figures of 4-34. He also picked up three wickets in Mumbai’s narrow win against the Punjab Kings.

    RILEE ROSSOUW (PUNJAB KINGS)
    Matches: 8
    Innings: 8
    Runs: 211
    Average: 26.37
    Strike rate: 181.89
    Having paid R17.6-million for Rossouw at the IPL auction, Punjab would have wanted more bang for their buck. To be fair, the Proteas batsman had to wait until mid-April to finally get a chance to play, and produced some useful knocks when he did. But he will be disappointed to have scored just one fifty and been so inconsistent (one, nine, 26, 43, nought, 61, 22 and 49).

    KESHAV MAHARAJ (RAJASTHAN ROYALS)
    Matches: 2
    Overs: 6
    Runs: 39
    Wickets: 2
    Average: 19.50
    Strike rate: 18.0
    Economy: 6.50
    The Proteas spinner would have been delighted to finally make his IPL debut after being called up as an injury replacement, but disappointed to make just two appearances. He took 0-16 in four overs on debut against the Gujarat Titans and 2-23 in three overs against the Punjab Kings.

    AIDEN MARKRAM (SUNRISERS HYDERABAD)
    Matches:     11
    Innings: 11
    Runs: 220
    Average: 24.44
    Strike rate: 124.29
    Markram lost the Sunrisers captaincy to Pat Cummins before the tournament, and then his place in the team after making nine appearances. While Markram was recalled for the second qualifier playoff, he made just one, followed by 20 in the final. The Proteas T20I skipper scored just one fifty in 11 innings, and his strike rate was low compared to Hyderabad’s other big-hitting batsmen.

    KAGISO RABADA (PUNJAB KINGS)
    Matches: 11
    Overs: 42
    Runs: 372
    Wickets: 11
    Average: 33.81
    Strike rate: 22.9
    Economy: 8.85
    Rabada will be relatively pleased with his efforts in an IPL that was dominated by batsmen like never before. He took two wickets in a match on three occasions, with his best figures of 2-18 in four overs coming against the Rajasthan Royals.

    QUINTON DE KOCK (LUCKNOW SUPER GIANTS)
    Matches:     11
    Innings: 11
    Runs: 250
    Average: 22.72
    Strike rate: 134.40
    De Kock struck three fifties, but four consecutive low scores saw him dropped for Lucknow’s last league fixture. The highlight of his tournament was a 56-ball 81 against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru that included five sixes.

    DAVID MILLER (GUJARAT TITANS)
    Matches: 9
    Innings: 9
    Runs: 210
    Average: 35.00
    Strike rate: 151.07
    Miller was sidelined for a couple of weeks due to injury, which limited him to just nine appearances this season. He scored just one fifty – 55 off 23 balls, against the Delhi Capitals, which included 22 runs off an Anrich Nortje over – and the Titans will be hoping for more ‘Miller Time’ next season.

    ANRICH NORTJE (DELHI CAPITALS)
    Matches: 6
    Overs: 22
    Runs: 294
    Wickets: 7
    Average: 42.00
    Strike rate: 18.8
    Economy: 13.36
    Having only just returned from a lengthy injury, the Proteas quick was on the receiving end of some brutal batting attacks. Romario Shepherd smashed Nortje for 32 runs in the final over of the Mumbai Indians innings, leaving him with figures of 2-65 from four overs. The Gujarat Titans’ David Miller then took 22 runs off an over as he ended with 1-48 in three overs. Nortje would not play again.

    MARCO JANSEN (SUNRISERS HYDERABAD)
    Matches: 3
    Innings: 2
    Runs: 18
    Average: 18.00
    Strike rate: 138.46
    Overs: 10
    Runs: 129
    Wickets: 1
    Average: 129.00
    Strike rate: 60.0
    Economy: 12.90
    Jansen spent most of the first month of the IPL on the bench and then struggled to get going when he was picked for two consecutive games. He went for almost 13 runs an over with the ball and made just 18 runs with the bat.

    NANDRE BURGER (RAJASTHAN ROYALS)
    Matches:     6
    Overs: 17
    Runs: 145
    Wickets: 7
    Average: 20.71
    Strike rate: 14.5
    Economy: 8.52
    The Proteas fast bowler made an impressive start to the 2024 IPL, before getting injured in early April. His best figures of 2-29 came against the Rajasthan Royals, and included the big wicket of Australian Mitchell Marsh. Burger returned to the team in mid-May and will hope to feature in the playoffs.

    KWENA MAPHAKA (MUMBAI INDIANS)
    Matches: 2
    Overs: 6
    Runs: 89
    Wickets: 1
    Average: 89.00
    Strike rate: 36.0
    Economy: 14.83
    The 17-year-old SA U19 star experienced a baptism by fire when he went for 0-66 in his IPL debut against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, but he bounced back well against the Rajasthan Royals, taking 1-23. While Maphaka didn’t play again, he would have benefited tremendously from the two-month experience.

    DEWALD BREVIS (MUMBAI INDIANS)
    Matches:     3
    Innings: 3
    Runs: 69
    Average: 23.00
    Strike rate: 116.94
    After a disappointing SA20 campaign, “Baby AB” was given just three opportunities by Mumbai coach Mark Boucher in this season’s IPL, scoring 46 off 38 balls, nought and 23 off 20 balls.

    LIZAAD WILLIAMS (DELHI CAPITALS)
    Matches: 2
    Overs: 2
    Runs: 72
    Wickets: 1
    Average: 72.00
    Strike rate: 36.0
    Economy: 12.00
    Called up as an injury replacement, the Proteas seamer took 0-34 and 1-38 in his two three-over spells for the Capitals.

    DONOVAN FERREIRA (RAJASTHAN ROYALS)
    Matches: 2
    Innings: 2
    Runs: 8
    Average: 4.00
    Strike rate: 72.72
    The Proteas all-rounder was given an opportunity to play late in the Royals’ campaign, scoring one and seven with the bat. He did not bowl in either match.

    Photo: BCCI

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    Simon Borchardt