3 Best overseas batsmen who have represented Chennai Super Kings in IPL history 

#1. Faf du Plessis

Faf du Plessis - CSK's man for the crisis

Matches – 51, Runs – 1243, Average – 38, SR – 128

Faf du Plessis is the crisis man for CSK. He made more than 300 runs for CSK in the years 2012, 2014 and 2015. However, post IPL 2015, he hasn’t got his chances frequently as the team has been top heavy with players like Mike Hussey, Dwayne Smith, Brendon McCullum and Shane Watson. But whenever provided with an opportunity, he has proved his class.

The skipper of the South Africa cricket team is one batsman who has the penchant to come good with the bat whenever everyone else fails to do so. He once again proved that in last year’s IPL when he single-handedly took CSK’s to a win in the first qualifier against SRH. du Plessis was playing only in his fifth match of the season and he had scored a mere 85 runs in the previous 4 matches. However, Dhoni had faith in him even after repeated failures.

In that match, chasing a modest target of 140 for a place in the final, CSK lost its first 4 wickets for 39 runs with Watson, Raina, Rayadu and Dhoni all back in the pavilion. Faf was holding one end up while CSK lost 2 more wickets at the other end.

CSK needed 78 runs in 7 overs with only 4 wickets in hand with Faf on 21. He realized that he was running out of partners and decided to take things in his own hands. Shakib Al Hasan was the first bowler to get that message when he was drilled for a four and six. When on 38, he was given out LBW to Rashid Khan but was saved by the review.

The right-handed batsman wisely played out Rashid Khan and turned his attention towards the other bowlers. CSK needed 43 in 3 overs with 3 wickets in hand. Carlos Brathwaite was brought into the attack to bowl the 18th over. Faf drubbed him for 3 overs and one six before Harbhajan was run-out in the same over.

With SRH just 2 wickets away from a win with 23 runs to play for, the SRH captain Kane Willaimson made a tactical error by not opting to go with Bhuvneshwar Kumar to bowl the 19th over. Instead, it was Siddarth Kaul who came onto bowl the over to new batsman Shardul Thakur.

Thakur was fortuitous to hit 3 boundaries in that over through inside edges. By the time Bhuvi was brought back for the last over, it was too late and Du Plessis finished off the match with a straight six. He singlehandedly won that match for CSK and once again proved that he is their crisis man.

Faf Du Plessis is the most successful overseas batsman in the current CSK team.