Highs and lows: How SA players performed in the IPL
· Citizen
South Africa had 15 players across eight franchises in the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL), with performances ranging from the tournament’s best bowling campaign to heartbreaking early exits.
Visit forestarrow.rest for more information.
Kagiso Rabada (Gujarat Titans)
The standout South African of the tournament. Rabada claimed the Purple Cap with 29 wickets from 17 matches at an average of 21.58 and an economy of 9.68, with a best of 3-25. His 20 powerplay wickets set a new IPL record for a single season. GT reached the final, where they lost to RCB.
Heinrich Klaasen (Sunrisers Hyderabad)
Klaasen scored 624 runs from 15 innings at an average of 48.00 and a strike rate of 160.00, with six half-centuries and a highest score of 69. No middle-order batter in any T20 tournament has scored 600-plus runs from outside the top three.
Donovan Ferreira (Rajasthan Royals)
Ferreira scored 317 runs from 13 innings at an average of 35.22 and a strike rate of 179.09, with two half-centuries and a highest score of 69. He also chipped in with one wicket from three overs. One of the IPL’s most dangerous finishers this season.
Ryan Rickelton (Mumbai Indians)
The standout performer in a difficult MI campaign. Rickelton scored 448 runs from 12 innings at an average of 40.73 and a strike rate of 186.66, with one century of 123 not out and two half-centuries.
Nandre Burger (Rajasthan Royals)
Burger took 14 wickets from 13 matches at an average of 31.42 and an economy of 10.11, with a best of 2-21. He scored 14 runs with the bat across three innings.
Tristan Stubbs (Delhi Capitals)
Stubbs scored 275 runs from 13 innings at an average of 34.38 and a strike rate of 127.31, with two half-centuries and a highest score of 60 not out.
David Miller (Delhi Capitals)
Miller contributed 211 runs from 10 innings at an average of 35.17 and a strike rate of 154.01, with one half-century of 51.
Lungi Ngidi (Delhi Capitals)
Ngidi took 13 wickets from 12 matches at an average of 26.15 and an economy of 8.22, with a best of 3-27. His season was disrupted by a concussion in April but he returned to finish as DC’s leading wicket-taker.
Aiden Markram (Lucknow Super Giants)
Markram scored 231 runs from 11 innings at an average of 25.67 and a strike rate of 138.32, with a highest score of 45. He left the squad early for personal reasons and did not feature in LSG’s final match.
Corbin Bosch (Mumbai Indians)
An impressive IPL 2026 campaign for the Proteas all-rounder. Bosch took 12 wickets from six matches at an average of 16.25 and an economy of 9.66, with a best of 4-26. He also scored 50 runs with the bat at a strike rate of 161.29.
Marco Jansen (Punjab Kings)
Jansen scored 51 runs with the bat and took nine wickets from 13 matches at an average of 53.66 and an economy of 10.20, with a best of 2-33.
Dewald Brevis (Chennai Super Kings)
Brevis scored 151 runs from eight innings at an average of 18.88 and a strike rate of 127.96, with a highest score of 44.
Quinton de Kock (Mumbai Indians)
De Kock scored 132 runs from just three matches at an average of 66.00 and a strike rate of 162.96, including 112 not out on debut. A wrist injury ruled him out for the remainder of the season.
George Linde (Lucknow Super Giants)
Linde joined as a replacement for the injured Wanindu Hasaranga and played three matches, scoring 31 runs and taking one wicket from 6.1 overs at an economy of 8.91.
Anrich Nortje (Lucknow Super Giants)
Nortje played one match, conceding 39 runs without taking a wicket against Delhi Capitals on April 1, before leaving the squad with an injury.
Matthew Breetzke (Lucknow Super Giants)
Breetzke did not play a single match before leaving the tournament for personal reasons. He returned to South Africa and did not return to the squad.
Kwena Maphaka (Rajasthan Royals)
Maphaka was part of the RR squad throughout the season but did not feature in a single match.
This story first appeared on sacricketmag.com. It is republished here with permission.