Faf, De Kock, Rabada and how they led SA's charge at the IPL

The Indian Premier League (IPL) round-robin stages have come and gone. Sport24 looks at how the South African contingent fared at the tournament. 

Quinton de Kock (Lucknow Super Giants) – 502 runs at 38.61, strike rate: 149.40 – 3rd

A much-needed spring back to form as the wicketkeeper batter not only made runs at a brisk rate, but also converted one of his 50s into a big and match-winning 100. Whether he carries the form through to the playoffs will remain to be seen. What can’t be disputed is that he remains a real and present threat on Wednesday for the Royal Challengers Bangalore side.

Faf du Plessis (Royal Challengers Bangalore) – 443 runs at 34.07, strike rate: 130.67  – 5th

RCB skipper Faf du Plessis has proven himself as a match-winner in the IPL on many occasions. While he might have wanted to do better with the bat, he's provided level-headed leadership that's not always been available for the Bangalore side despite their batting riches. Their game against the Lucknow Super Giants is indeed a winner-takes-all fixture, but one that's suited to Du Plessis's IPL nature.

Aiden Markram (Sunrisers Hyderabad) – 381 runs at 47.63, strike rate: 139.95 – 16th

Aiden Markram the Test batter is floundering, but Markram the T20 batter is definitely flourishing. Markram used the IPL opportunity to cement his top-order spot for the Proteas.

David Miller (Gujarat Titans) - 381 runs at 54.42, strike rate: 136.07 – 17th

His average may have been inflated by seven not-outs, but the timing of his finishes is something that's of importance for the Proteas. There's still a debate on how he can be best utilised, especially with his seniority, but a new team gave him a better sense of batting life and it showed.

Dewald Brevis (Mumbai Indians)