Xplorich
Faf du Plessis added his name to the record books by becoming the oldest player in cricket history to score a T20 century. The veteran South African achieved the feat in his opening match of the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2026 season while representing Texas Super Kings, aiding the Chennai Super Kings-affiliated franchise secure a six-wicket victory over the Seattle Orcas.After winning the toss, Texas Super Kings elected to field first, but the decision initially appeared to backfire as the Seattle Orcas piled on a formidable 220 runs. Tim Seifert led the charge with a scintillating 104 off 66 deliveries, while Shayan Jahangir contributed 78 from 47 balls. The pair stitched together a record-breaking 191-run opening partnership, the highest ever in the USA-based franchise league, to propel Seattle to a commanding position.Texas Super Kings suffered an early setback in their chase when Saiteja Mukkamalla was dismissed for a golden duck by Jasdeep Singh. However, du Plessis stood firm at the crease and steadied the innings alongside Rilee Rossouw. The pair put together a crucial 95-run partnership for the second wicket to keep Texas firmly in contention.The partnership came to an end when Rossouw fell to Stoinis, but du Plessis continued to anchor the chase from his end. Texas further endured a mini-collapse, with Milind Kumar and Shubham Ranjane going back for 13 and 10, respectively.Despite the frequent fall of wickets, du Plessis maintained the momentum and found valuable support from Wiaan Mulder’s cameo, who smashed 31 runs from just 15 balls. Their efforts ensured the Texas Super Kings successfully chased down the target and opened their campaign with a memorable victory.In the process, du Plessis became the oldest player ever to score a T20 century, reaching the landmark at 41 years and 340 days of age. The veteran batter’s innings was made even more impressive by a remarkable strike rate of 217, underlining his outstanding class in the shortest format.
Oldest Player to score T20 centuries
| Player (Team) | Runs | Balls Faced | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate | 100s | Age | Opposition | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faf du Plessis (Texas Super Kings) | 113* | 52 | 9 | 7 | 217.30 | 2 | 41y 340d | Seattle Orcas | Dallas | 18 Jun 2026 |
| Paul Collingwood (Durham) | 108* | 60 | 10 | 4 | 180.00 | 1 | 41y 65d | Worcestershire | Worcester | 30 Jul 2017 |
| Graeme Hick (Worcestershire) | 110 | 49 | 10 | 8 | 224.48 | 1 | 41y 37d | Northamptonshire | Kidderminster | 29 Jun 2007 |
| Faf du Plessis (Texas Super Kings) | 103* | 53 | 5 | 9 | 194.33 | 1 | 40y 351d | MI New York | Dallas | 29 Jun 2025 |
| Faf du Plessis (Texas Super Kings) | 100 | 51 | 6 | 7 | 196.07 | 1 | 40y 342d | San Francisco Unicorns | Dallas | 20 Jun 2025 |
