South African stars shine in IPL: Grading their performances before World Championship

Quinton de Kock of the Mumbai Indians bats during the India Premier League IPL Qualifier Final match between the Mumbai Indians and the Chennai Super Kings at M.A.Chidambaram Stadium on May 07, 2019 in Chennai, India. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

By Keanan Hemmonsbey

28 May 2025

We grade the South Africans’ performances after the conclusion of the league phase of the Indian Premier League.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) final four have been confirmed for the better part of the past week, but where the teams who qualified would finish went down to the last league match between Royal Challengers Bangaluru and Lucknow Super Giants yesterday.

Bangaluru’s six-wicket victory secured their second-place spot on the table with Punjab Kings finishing at the top of the ladder. Across the last 14 seasons of the IPL a team finishing outside the top two has only won the tournament once — the Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2016.

That statistic bodes well for fans of the Royal Challengers Bangaluru and Punjab Kings, who have never seen their side lift the trophy in the history of the tournament. The other two sides to have qualified for the final four are Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans

Aiden Markram of Lucknow Super Giants. (Photo: Surjeet Yadav / MB Media / Getty Images)

Dewald Brevis of Chennai Super Kings. (Photo: Surjeet Yadav / MB Media / Getty Images)

Quinton de Kock of the Mumbai Indians. (Photo: Robert Cianflone / Getty Images)

South Africans have played a big role in the entertainment value of the tournament. The eight members of South Africa’s World Test Championship final squad, who have also been playing in the IPL, have left the tournament in preparation for the encounter against Australia at Lord’s in England from 11 June. They will not take part in the playoffs.

Below we grade the performances of the South Africans in the league phase of the tournament.

A+

Aiden Markram (Lucknow Super Giants):

The 2025 season was by far Markram’s best in the IPL. He was consistent and destructive at the top of the order for Lucknow Super Giants alongside Australia’s Mitchell Marsh. The Proteas T20I skipper struck five half-centuries this season.

Batting stats: 13 innings, 445 runs, 34.23 average, 148.82 strike rate, high score of 66.

Heinrich Klaasen (Sunrisers Hyderabad):

The powerful six-hitter was the most expensive South African in this year’s IPL, earning close to R50-million this season. He was solid without being outstanding for most of the season before he clubbed an undefeated 37-ball century in Sunrisers Hyderabad’s final match of the season.

Batting stats: 13 innings, 487 runs, 44.27 average, 172.69 strike rate, high score of 105*.

A

Dewald Brevis (Chennai Super Kings):

He may have entered the tournament late, as an injury replacement, but there’s little more Brevis could have done in his six-game stint. He only failed once, going out for a golden duck, and even then, replays suggested the LBW dismissal would have missed leg-stump.

Batting stats: six innings, 225 runs, 37.50 average, 180 strike rate, high score of 57.

Tristan Stubbs (Delhi Capitals):

Despite being one of the cleanest ball-strikers in the world, Stubbs was given little opportunity by the Delhi Capitals to showcase it consistently — coming in at number six. Nonetheless, he performed the task required from him exceptionally well.

Batting stats: 13 innings, 300 runs, 50 average, 150.75 strike rate, high score of 41*.

B

Marco Jansen (Punjab Kings):

Jansen finished in the top 10 wicket takers in the tournament, despite often not taking the new ball, at which he has been most successful in the past. Jansen’s opportunities with the willow were few and far between outside of facing a few deliveries at the end of the innings.

Bowling stats: 14 innings, 16 wickets, 9.20 economy, best figures of 3 for 17.

Batting stats: eight innings, 75 runs, 18.75 average, 119.04 strike rate, high score of 34*.

Ryan Rickelton (Mumbai Indians):

Mumbai Indians’ opening batter played every match of the season in his debut campaign in the IPL. He was consistent, having only been dismissed for single digits twice. However, he did not kick on to a big score as often as he would have liked.

Batting stats: 14 innings, 388 runs, 29.84 average, 150.97 strike rate, high score of 62*.

C

Faf du Plessis (Delhi Capitals):

The veteran former South African skipper struggled with injuries throughout the tournament. The 40-year-old blew hot and cold with four single-digit scores to go with two half-centuries in what was his 13th season of IPL cricket.

Batting stats: nine innings, 202 runs, 22.44 average, 123.92 strike rate, high score of 62.

D

David Miller (Lucknow Super Giants):

The role of the finisher is perhaps the most difficult in T20 cricket. It’s a role that Miller has made his own for whatever team he has played for over the past few years, but he struggled to get the ball off the square this year and was eventually dropped from the Super Giants side.

Batting stats: 11 innings, 153 runs, 30.60 average, 127.49 strike rate, high score of 27*.

Quinton de Kock (Kolkata Knight Riders):

De Kock started the tournament with a bang, slamming an undefeated 97 against the Rajasthan Royals in his second match. But in the other seven innings he batted he failed to pass 25 once and registered five single-digit scores.

Batting stats: eight innings, 152 runs, 21.71 average, 129.91 strike rate, high score of 97*.

Other South Africans to have played in the IPL this season include Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Matthew Breetzke, Gerald Coetzee, Lungi Ngidi, Kwena Maphaka, Wiaan Mulder, Donovan Ferreira and Corbin Bosch, but they all played fewer than five matches. DM

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A+

A

B

C

D