Replacement Leus du Plooy happy to lead JSK into SA20 playoffs

By Benjamin Leshoro
20th January 2026

Joburg Super Kings batter Leus du Plooy has admitted that he was under pressure coming in at number five, in a match his team had to win against Paarl Royals to stay alive in the SA20 Season 4.

His 54 not out was crucial in their 44-run win at Boland Park, a venue they had struggled at in the past.

He explained what helped him settle quicker at the crease as he top scored in the match and helped secure a place in the eliminator against the same team.

"The thing that helped me the most was the previous years playing here. We struggled as the Joburg Super Kings to compete here in the past. The power play was a big thing for us and set us up for the rest of the game.

"Coming in during the middle overs is tougher, but if you've done it before you don't panic as much when you face those dot balls because dot balls are a little bit more common in Paarl compared to SuperSport Park or Wanderers."

READ: Proteas allrounder Senuran Muthusamy set for English county stint with Kent

Du Plooy only came into the squad recently as replacement for injured captain Faf du Plessis.

He says while it was tough to step into the big shoes left by the skipper, it was easy coming into a familiar team...

"Coming in as a replacement in any team is tough, and I'm absolutely gutted for Faf because he is such a key figure in this Super Kings family.

"So, I obviously have massive shoes to fill, but one thing that made it so easy was walking into a team I've played for before, and this is such a great group that has remained consistent over the years."

He says they had to pick themselves up from their previous match against Pretoria Capitals, which they inexplicably lost after having them at 7/5.

He revealed that the first thing they had to do was to admit that they let it slip from their grip.

One of the big contributors to the victory against PR was veteran spinner Imran Tahir with figures of 2/17. At 46 years of age he’s still a key member of the team, and du Plooy praised him for that.

"If I've got a tenth of his energy at his age, I'll be pretty proud of myself. He is a great character to have in the dressing room. Everyone loves him and he has such a great knowledge of the game."