Former South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis made history in Major League Cricket (MLC) by becoming the first batter to score four centuries in the tournament. The veteran batter achieved the milestone during the opening match of the 2026 season at Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas on Thursday, June 18 (local time).
Du Plessis led the Texas Super Kings to a thrilling six-wicket win over the Seattle Orcas. Chasing 221 runs, the veteran opener dominated the bowling attack with a brilliant century, helping Texas begin their campaign with a victory in Dallas. They reached the target with nine balls and six wickets to spare.
Faf du Plessis Creates History With Record-Breaking Century in MLC 2026 Opener
Faf du Plessis produced a stunning innings, remaining unbeaten on 113 off 52 balls, smashing seven fours and seven sixes. The South African veteran brought up his century in just 45 deliveries during the chase.
At 41 years and 340 days, du Plessis became the oldest player to score a T20 century, surpassing the previous record held by former England all-rounder Paul Collingwood. He also became the first batter to score four centuries in the history of the MLC.
The knock also took du Plessis past 1,000 runs in Major League Cricket, making him the first batter to reach the landmark in the tournament. Across four MLC seasons, he has scored 1,001 runs at an average of nearly 59 and a strike rate of 175.
Tim Seifert's Century Goes in Vain as Texas Super Kings Complete Record Chase
Earlier in the match, Seattle Orcas posted a massive 220/2 after opener Tim Seifert smashed 104 off 66 balls, registering his maiden MLC century. He received excellent support from Shayan Jahangir, who scored 78 off 47 deliveries, as the pair added a tournament-record 191 runs for the first wicket.
Despite losing Saiteja Mukkamalla in the opening over of the chase, Texas Super Kings responded aggressively. Faf du Plessis shared a crucial 95-run partnership with fellow South African Rilee Rossouw, who hammered 49 off 21 balls.
Texas raced to 89/1 in the powerplay and stayed ahead of the required rate throughout the innings. After du Plessis laid the platform with his unbeaten century, Wiaan Mulder finished the job with an unbeaten 31 off 15 balls, helping Texas Super Kings reach 221/4 in 18.3 overs and seal victory with nine balls to spare.
You Always Want to Repay the Franchise - Faf du Plessis on His Bond With Super Kings
Faf du Plessis spoke about his strong connection with the Super Kings franchise and said his motivation to perform for the team remains as strong as ever. The Texas Super Kings captain stated that he always wants to repay the faith shown in him over the years.
"And always great to be associated with any of the Super Kings franchises. It's a good franchise to be a part of. Very loyal, great fan base as well. So you always feel like you want to repay all the years that you've been with them. So I still have that same desire. That hasn't changed."
"Oh my goodness. No, it's good. Even though these days milestones don't mean much, it's not something you bat for. It's about that intensity and strike rate. But as long as you can keep that up, for me, it's putting a score on the board that actually wins you a match. 30s and 40s doesn't often win you games. So you want to get to that 70-plus, 75-plus where you feel you make a big contribution to getting the team over the line. And obviously, the strike rate is always important."
