Former South Africa captain, 42-year-old Faf du Plessis completed 12,500 runs in T20 cricket (including T20Is, domestic T20s and franchise cricket). Leading Rotterdam Dockers in European T20 Premier League (ETPL) 2026, Du Plessis scored 79 runs against Ravichandran Ashwin's Dublin Guardians to achieve the feat on September 2. Du Plessis surpassed Pakistan Test captain Babar Azam and former New Zealand opener Colin Munro to take the 11th place in list of leading run-scorers in T20 format.
This was Du Plessis' 86th half-century in T20 cricket. He has 12,503 runs from 420 innings at an average of 33.16. His strike rate is nearly 138. He also has nine centuries in T20s. The veteran batter is also South Africa’s second to complete 12,500 runs after Quinton de Kock.
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Munro has 12,498 runs from 462 innings, including six tons and 78 fifties. Babar is just behind with 12,493 runs from 346 innings featuring 13 tons and 101 fifties.
Du Plessis’ Dockers beat Ashwin’s Guardians
In the run chase of 179, Du Plessis scored 79 runs from 51 balls, including nine fours and a six. He got support from opener Michael Levitt who scored 35 runs from just 14 balls. Du Plessis was dismissed lbw in the 16th over by Ashwin. Later, Heinrich Klaasen finished the job with 34 runs from 28 balls. Dockers won the game by seven wickets with eight balls to spare.
Earlier, James Vince scored an unbeaten 95 off 54 deliveries. He lacked support from opener Noah Croes who scored just eight runs from 15 balls. Harry Tector and Daryl Mitchell failed to make a mark. In the slog overs, Vijay Shankar's unbeaten 13-ball 26 cameo helped Guardians post 178/4.
The win helped Rotterdam Dockers rise to the top of the points table with their third win from four games. Meanwhile, Du Plessis surpassed Vince to become leading run-scorer in ETPL 2026.
Du Plessis’ chance to leave Rohit Sharma behind
Du Plessis needs just 29 more runs surpass former India captain Rohit Sharma to enter top 10 list of T20 run-scorers. Rohit has 12,531 runs from 459 innings including eight centuries and 84 fifties.
Du Plessis' Rotterdam Dockers will be in action next on September 5 against Edinburgh Castle Rockers.