Faf du Plessis added his name to the record books by becoming the oldest player in cricket history to score a T20 century. The South African veteran achieved the feat in his first match of the 2026 Major League Cricket (MLC) season while representing the Texas Super Kings, helping the Chennai Super Kings-affiliated franchise secure a six-wicket victory over the Seattle Orcas.After winning the toss, the Texas Super Kings fielded first, but initially the decision seemed to backfire as the Seattle Orcas piled up a whopping 220 runs. Tim Seifert led the charge with a blistering 104 off 66 deliveries while Shayan Jahangir contributed 78 off 47 balls. The pair combined for a record partnership of 191 starts, the most ever by a US-based franchise, to propel Seattle to a commanding position.Texas Super Kings suffered an early setback in their chase when Saiteja Mukkamalla was dismissed for a golden duck by Jasdeep Singh. However, du Plessis stood firm at the crease and anchored the innings alongside Rilee Rossouw. The pair put on a crucial 95-run partnership for the second wicket to keep Texas firmly in the contest.The partnership came to an end when Rossouw fell to Stoinis, but du Plessis continued to lead the chase from his side. Texas further suffered a small collapse, with Milind Kumar and Shubham Ranjane returning for 13 and 10 respectively.Despite the frequent fall of wickets, du Plessis kept the momentum going and found valuable support from Wiaan Mulder, who smashed 31 runs off just 15 balls. Their efforts ensured the Texas Super Kings successfully chased down the target and began their campaign with a memorable victory.In the process, du Plessis became the oldest player ever to score a T20 century, reaching the milestone at the age of 41 years and 340 days. The veteran batsman’s innings was made all the more impressive by a remarkable strike rate of 217, highlighting his outstanding class in the shortest format.
The oldest player to score a T20 century
| players (team) | run | Balls Faced | 4s | 6s | Strike rate | 100’s | Age | opposition | Place of action | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faf du Plessis (Texas Super Kings) | 113* | 52 | 9 | 7 | 217.30 | 2 | 41y 340d | Orcas from Seattle | Dallas | June 18, 2026 |
| Paul Collingwood (Durham) | 108* | 60 | 10 | 4 | 180.00 | 1 | 41 years 65 days | Worcestershire | Worcester | July 30, 2017 |
| Graeme Hick (Worcestershire) | 110 | 49 | 10 | 8 | 224.48 | 1 | 41 years 37 days | Northamptonshire | Kidderminster | June 29, 2007 |
| Faf du Plessis (Texas Super Kings) | 103* | 53 | 5 | 9 | 194.33 | 1 | 40y 351d | FR New York | Dallas | June 29, 2025 |
| Faf du Plessis (Texas Super Kings) | 100 | 51 | 6 | 7 | 196.07 | 1 | 40y 342d | San Francisco Unicorns | Dallas | June 20, 2025 |
