Faf du Plessis snubs Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya as he names MS Dhoni the GOAT IPL finisher

Former CSK player and RCB captain Faf du Plessis picked MS Dhoni as the best finisher in IPL history.

Speaking to ESPNCricinfo and playing a “winner stays on” format, Faf du Plessis was asked to name the best finisher in the IPL.

Yusuf Pathan, an early contender

In the early stages of the game, former India allrounder Yusuf Pathan won out - at least in du Plessis’ opinion - over the likes of Albie Morkel, Rahul Tewatia, Rinku Singh, and Shashank Singh.

Yusuf Pathan was in a rare category of Indian batters who could generate as much power as he had, especially during the middle and end overs. His spin bowling helped as well, and his heroics delivered his team's three IPL titles - For Rajasthan Royals in 2008, and for Kolkata Knight Riders in 2012 and 2014.

Pathan's magnum opus in the IPL was arguably a rescue act in the 2010 season when he smashed a century from just 37 balls. It was the fastest IPL century at the time and is still the third fastest century in terms of balls faced.

Du Plessis eventually picked fellow South African Heinrich Klaasen over Pathan, and the current SRH batter stayed in the game for a long time.

Klaasen dominates the middle phase

Faf du Plessis showered praise on Klassen and preferred him to established names like Dinesh Karthik, David Miller, Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Glenn Maxwell, and Tim David.

Since he joined Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2023, Heinrich Klaasen has been a vital cog of their aggressive batting approach and has closed out many a match for SRH by building on the platform given by their aggressive openers. When SRH finished as runners-up in 2024, Klaasen was an important part of the batting line-up. In 2025, Klaasen made a century off just 39 balls against the Kolkata Knight Riders.

Incumbent Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya won against Klaasen, but his stay wasn’t long.

Dasher Dhoni takes the prize as Faf du Plessis crows him GOAT finisher

Though Faf du Plessis preferred Andre Russell to Pandya, he picked five-time IPL skipper MS Dhoni over Russell and took him all the way. du Plessis has been a part of three IPL title-winning sides with Chennai Super Kings, and all of those teams were led by Dhoni.

Dhoni then staved off a tough challenge from both AB de Villiers and Kieron Pollard and was named the best ever IPL finisher by du Plessis.

Dhoni's skills in the death overs are the stuff of legend, and there are uncountable tales of how he took CSK over the line in his heyday. Not to mention his exploits as a five-time IPL trophy-winning skipper.

Also Read: CSK provide official update on MS Dhoni, Ayush Mhatre’s return and Khaleel Ahmed’s replacement

So far, Dhoni has not been seen in action for Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2026 owing to a calf strain and his subsequent recovery from the injury. It is expected that he will be back soon especially since CSK are currently struggling in the tournament.

The best IPL finisher, according to @faf1307, is ___ 🍿 pic.twitter.com/7T9nvfZWEi

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) April 20, 2026

After pulling out of playing in IPL 2026, Faf du Plessis has joined the commentary panel for this year’s tournament and has become a fan favourite with his insights.