The Indian Premier League (IPL) is the biggest cricket league in history, and by some measures the second-richest sports league on the planet. It has changed the game of cricket and, as we covered this weekend, a number of South Africans are playing in the tournament and earning tidy sums.

But which South Africans have shone in the tournament since its inception in 2008? Who has dominated the league, and become a legend, not just in South Africa, but also in India?

AB de Villiers

No player captures South Africa’s IPL impact better than AB de Villiers. Across more than a decade with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), he redefined what was possible in T20 batting and was not known as Mr 360 (for his ability to score with shots to every part of the ground) for nothing. He made his debut in the IPL’s first season in 2008, for the Delhi Capitals (then known as the Daredevils), playing three seasons for them, before moving to RCB. Over 15 IPL seasons he played 184 games, scoring over 5 000 runs, at an average of almost 40, with a strike rate of over 150, confirming him as one of the league’s greats. His partnership at the top of the order for RCB with Indian legend, Virat Kohli, became one of the IPL’s defining duos. However, like his career with South Africa, he was never destined to be a champion, and while he played in two IPL finals with RCB, he never lifted the trophy.

Faf du Plessis

Faf du Plessis, who played in cricket teams with AB de Villiers while they were at school together, and eventually with South Africa, arguably had an even bigger impact on the IPL than De Villiers. His record speaks for itself – 154 matches for four different teams, with nearly 5 000 runs, at an average 35, with a strike rate of 136, as well as 39 scores of 50 or more. He also captained both RCB and Chennai Super Kings (CSK), leading CSK to two titles, and being man of the match in the 2021 final, when he scored 86 off 59 balls.

He was the second-highest run scorer in a season twice.

In addition, he will be remembered for what seemed like almost superhuman fielding at times, even at the age of 40, which is how old he was in his final IPL season.

His batting record doesn’t quite match that of his long-time friend De Villiers, but Du Plessis, given his captaincy exploits, arguably had a bigger overall impact on the IPL.

Dale Steyn

At his peak, Dale Steyn was arguably the most feared fast bowler in the league. He played for four teams (Sunrisers Hyderabad, RCB, Deccan Chargers, and the short-lived Gujarat Lions) across 11 seasons. He finished with 97 wickets in 95 matches, at an economy rate of just under seven, astonishing for the format. Of players who have participated in more than 50 IPL games, Steyn’s economy rate is the fourth lowest.

He combined pace and swing with ruthless accuracy, regularly dismantling top orders. His economy rate in a format built for batters set him apart.

Kagiso Rabada

Kagiso Rabada brought a new generation of South African pace to the IPL. He won the Purple Cap (awarded to the player who has taken the most wickets in a single IPL) with the Delhi Capitals in 2021, the third South African to do so after Morne Morkel in 2012, and Imran Tahir in 2019. Playing for three teams over nine seasons, he combined aggression with control, often striking in key moments, and leading bowling attacks with authority. He has taken 120 IPL wickets in 85 matches, the sixth-most by a non-Indian, and the most by a South African.

David Miller

Few innings in IPL history are as iconic as David Miller’s 101 not out for Kings XI Punjab (now the Punjab Kings) against RCB in 2013, and it is still the fifth-fastest hundred in IPL history. It helped Punjab chase down 191 with 12 balls left, a significant amount in T20 cricket. Known as “Killer Miller”, his finishing ability made him one of the most dangerous middle-order players in the league, playing key roles in title-winning campaigns.

He has played nearly 150 matches for five different teams, scoring over 3 000 runs, at an average of 36, and a strike rate of 139. He is also an IPL champion, having helped the Gujarat Titans to victory in their inaugural season in 2022. In that season he scored nearly 500 runs, at an average of nearly 70, with a strike rate of over 140.

Quinton de Kock

Quinton de Kock has also made his mark on the IPL, scoring over 3 000 runs in 115 matches, at an average of just over 30, with a strike rate of 134. He also has two hundreds, with his 140 not out for Lucknow against Kolkata in 2022 being the fourth-highest score in IPL history.

He is also sixth on the list of most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in the IPL, with 84, which is also the most by a non-Indian.

Although his form in the last two IPLs has been relatively disappointing, he remains one of the most destructive players in the tournament, and his franchise, Mumbai, who he goes back to after leaving in 2021, will be hoping he returns to the form he has shown in the tournament in the past.

Together, these players reflect a broader truth. South African cricketers may not always dominate headlines, but when it comes to influence, impact, and match-winning moments, their imprint on the IPL has been profound and enduring. And they have paved the way for the next generation of South Africans in the IPL, with players such as Tristan Stubbs and Dewald Brevis already making their mark.