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Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Faf du Plessis is among the most gifted and athletic fielders to have ever graced the game of cricket.
The Proteas ace has deservedly earned his reputation and has taken an illustrious set of catches across his national career and even in the Indian Premier League (IPL) since making his debut in the cash-rich league in 2012.
The veteran cricketer, despite being set to be 39 years old soon, has not wavered even a little when it comes to his athletic prowess. Playing his 12th IPL season, Du Plessis made an impression in his side's very first match itself by claiming a stunning catch to dismiss Hrithik Shokeen in RCB's eight-wicket win over MI on Sunday, April 2.
It is a testament to his hard work that his most recent stunning grab has more or less become a regulation for him, which might not be the case with other fielders.
The South African has taken such impressive catches in his highlight reel over the years that it makes the one against MI look very bleak in comparison.
On that note, let's take a look at Du Plessis' five best catches in the IPL.
#5 CSK vs SRH (IPL 2021; Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi)
The wide array of Du Plessis' stunning catches includes ones from inside the circle as well as on the boundary ropes.
The former South African skipper claimed one of the greatest catches on the boundary rope to dismiss Manish Pandey during a clash against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in IPL 2021.
Manish Pandey tried to slog a delivery off Lungi Ngidi in the penultimate over and got a decent connection towards midwicket as well.
However, Du Plessis came steaming in from the left side and dove full length to complete the brilliant catch just inches off the boundary rope.
#4 CSK vs MI (IPL 2020; Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi)
As previously mentioned, boundary rope catches are somewhat of a specialty for Du Plessis, with juggling catches proving to be second nature to him.
During the inaugural contest of the 2020 IPL, which saw the tournament being shifted entirely to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to COVID-19, Du Plessis took two stunning catches by the boundary rope in the same over to help Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) cause.
He maintained his composure near the ropes by jumping full length and hovering back into the field after stepping out of bounds to dismiss Saurabh Tiwary.
He pulled off another leaping catch to seal the departure of Hardik Pandya just a few deliveries later.
#3 CSK vs RCB (IPL 2015; Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore)
Before donning RCB's red and gold, Du Plessis had a memorable stint with the Chennai Super Kings. One of his greatest catches funnily came against his current IPL team.
In the 2015 season, CSK took on RCB at the Chinnaswamy Stadium and posted a 182-run target for the hosts to chase. RCB openers Manvinder Bisla and Rilee Rossouw got the side off to a good start, but Ashish Nehra dealt an early blow, courtesy of du Plessis' fielding prowess.
Bisla tried to go over the in-field but only got elevation and no distance. Still, it was a steep ask for Du Plessis, who had run back from mid-off and had to look for the ball over his shoulder.
Despite the high difficulty, he managed to hold onto the ball with one hand to complete a magnificent catch. Watch the catch right here.
#2 CSK vs DD (IPL 2014, Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi)
Another of the veteran's brilliant catches came in Abu Dhabi during CSK's mammoth win over the Delhi Daredevils (now renamed as the Delhi Capitals).
Similar to the catch he claimed against RCB, Du Plessis had to work his way backwards after Murali Vijay miscued a slog intended to be hit straight down the ground off Mohit Sharma's bowling.
This time around, the fielder had to get into position with the ball getting sufficient hang time.
He got into a good enough place and timed the dive to perfection and pouched the ball safely. Watch the catch right here.
#1 CSK vs MI (IPL 2015; Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai)
The ace fielder's most memorable catch arguably came against the Mumbai Indians (MI) during the 2015 edition.
Playing at the Wankhede Stadium early into the season, Corey Anderson miscued a short ball from Ashish Nehra, resulting in it taking a looping arc down the ground.
The Proteas ace, stationed at mid-off on the right side of the field, ran towards his weaker side and dived full length to claim the catch with one hand at the edge of the circle. Watch the catch right here.
Will Faf du Plessis add more stunning catches to his collection in IPL 2023? Let us know what you think.
