Joburg Super Kings (JSK) captain Faf du Plessis has been ruled out for the remainder of the SA20 2026 season after suffering a right thumb ligament tear on 10 January, which will require surgery.
Du Plessis sustained the injury while fielding against MI Cape Town on Saturday in Johannesburg. The 41-year-old did not come out to bat while chasing a target of 235, and his absence had a significant impact as JSK went on to lose the match. JSK confirmed that du Plessis will miss the remainder of the tournament, with his replacement expected to be announced soon.
JSK head coach Stephen Fleming explained the severity of the injury. “He got his thumb jammed in the ground, which has caused some damage. Obviously, it was serious enough for him not to bat, which was not ideal when you are chasing 200 — you need your star players out there,” Fleming said after Saturday’s match.
Fleming also spoke about the injury concerns JSK has faced this season. “To lose him is another factor we have to deal with. We’ll take into consideration what happens going forward. We were hoping it was just bruising and that it would settle down, but I don’t feel overly optimistic given the number of injuries we’ve had so far,” he said. He added, “I tend to be a bit pessimistic about these things, so I’m hoping for the best, but we may have to prepare for other options.”
Before his injury, du Plessis was struggling for form with the bat, having scored just 135 runs in five innings. His setback comes as another major blow for JSK, with in-form Rilee Rossouw already ruled out due to a hamstring injury. JSK currently sit third on the points table with three wins from seven matches.
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