Faf du Plessis Credits IPL 2025 Success for Aiden Markram's Explosive T20 World Cup Form

Johannesburg. South African captain Aiden Markram has emerged as one of the most impactful players in the 2026 T20 World Cup. Among the 11 openers who have faced at least 100 balls in the tournament, his strike rate of 175.16 is the highest.

Former South African captain Faf du Plessis stated that his successful stint with Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL 2025 helped him become a successful T20 International opener.

Speaking on ESPNcricinfo's 'Timeout' program, Faf du Plessis said, 'He improved his game significantly when he opened for LSG in the IPL 2025 season. At that time, the Impact Sub rule and the pace of the game did not allow openers to play in the old style. If they couldn't attack the ball in the power play, another player would immediately be brought in.'

Markram's powerplay strike rate in IPL 2025 was 151.13, which was better than his current South African opening partners Quinton de Kock, Rohit Sharma, and Will Jacks. Along with Mitchell Marsh, he batted aggressively at the top order. Previously, in IPL 2024, he often played at number 4 while guiding Sunrisers Hyderabad to the final.

Markram, who usually batted in the middle order for South Africa in T20 Internationals before the IPL, was subsequently given the responsibility of a permanent opener. The team management preferred him to open ahead of SA20's highest run-scorer, Rassie van der Dussen.

Du Plessis said, 'Aiden was in a situation where he had to increase his strike rate. After a good season and some impactful innings, he transformed from number 3 or 4 to opening. In today's T20 cricket, one must be a versatile player. Team management looks at whether a player can open or play at number 4.'

South Africa has managed well due to the quick start provided by Markram, despite having to bat on red, black, and mixed soil pitches in five of the seven matches played so far in Ahmedabad.

His strike rate in this World Cup is 175.16, which is nearly 40 points higher than his overall T20 career strike rate of 136.37. According to Du Plessis, the Impact Player rule in the IPL has made batters more liberated.

'If a player doesn't change according to the demands of the game, they fall behind. Aiden changed with the times,' he said. Markram is a successful player across all three formats. He also has a fourth-innings century in the World Test Championship final to his name.

Du Plessis described him as technically sound, saying, 'There are not many weaknesses in his game. Sometimes getting out while driving forward is natural. Even great players like Virat Kohli drive forward. Aiden is understanding everything with time.'

Thanks to Markram's captaincy and excellent batting performance, South Africa is the only team to reach the semi-finals of the 2026 T20 World Cup without losing a single match so far.