Faf du Plessis sullies Tim Seifert's debut in blockbuster start to MLC 2026

MLC 2026 got a blockbuster opening as Seattle Orcas and Texas Super Giants traded individual centuries – first from Tim Seifert, and then Faf du Plessis, in a 220-v-220 fixture at the Grand Prairie stadium in Dallas. The South African veteran did it better, and quicker, as he oversaw a fantastic six-wicket victory for the Super Kings with an undefeated 113 off just 52 deliveries.

The first evening of the tournament saw the bowlers reduced to a sideshow as the ball flew in all directions. Seifert started off his MLC debut with a six off Wiaan Mulder in the opening over, and retained his foot on fifth gear through the rest of his essay. Orcas had 57 in the Powerplay, with Seifert scoring 39 off 24 deliveries while his opening partner Shayan Jahangir made a scratchy 10 (13) in that period. The carnage carried on in the middle overs, still predominantly off Seifert's willow as he got to a 32-ball fifty. Orcas reached halfway on 89/0, with Seifert on 54 off 37 and Jahangir on a run-a-ball 24.

Jahangir's turnaround came in two of the next four overs. He tonked Amshi de Silva for two sixes in a 16-run 11th over and then laid into Mohammad Mohsin, hitting four sixes and a four in a 30-run over that earned him his half-century. Between these two overs, Seifert went after Shubham Ranjane with two sixes and a four as the Orcas flew. The Super Kings pulled back a touch in relative terms at the death, conceding 46 in the final five overs despite the last over going for 18 runs. In the penultimate over, Seifert brought up his 64-ball century.

Du Plessis took the shine away from that maiden century by tonking one of his own. His opening partner Saiteja Mukkamulla fell for a duck in the first over but du Plessis forged a second-wicket stand with Rilee Rossouw where the South African duo nearly killed the chase in the Powerplay. They didn't waste time as 17 came off the second over from Cameron Gannon. Du Plessis then went 4, 6, 6 against Jasdeep Singh, an over Rossouw capped off with another four. Another boundary took TSK past 50 in just 3.1 overs and kept Orcas on their toes. The runs kept coming as Rossouw hit three fours in the same fourth over. By the end of the Powerplay, both batters were in their 40s, with TSK well ahead of the asking rate at 89/0.

Seifert then got involved again with a sharp one-handed take behind the stumps to send Rossouw back for a 21-ball 49 in the seventh over, but nothing changed for TSK's 41-year-old veteran skipper. He got a 24-ball fifty in the ninth over and pushed the team to 123/2 in 10 overs. Just when it looked like there was a dip in the chase, with Milind Kumar also departing, du Plessis turned the tide again in a 22-run 13th over where he hit three sixes off Ottneil Baartman. Ranjane then fell cheaply too, but TSK went into the death overs needing 50 off the last five. Mulder joined in on the big-hitting fun with his South African compatriot, who reached a 45-ball century in the 16th over.

Two sixes in that over reduced the equation to just 32 off 24. The required rate dipped below six as Dasun Shanaka conceded 15 in the 17th over. Mulder was in a hurry to wrap the chase up as he threw his bat around, while du Plessis didn't show signs of slowing down either. They wrapped up the chase in the 19th over, with du Plessis walking off with an unbeaten 113 off 52 while Mulder got a valuable 31* off 15.

Brief Scores: Seattle Orcas 220/2 in 20 overs (Tim Seifert 104, Shayan Jahangir 78) lost to Texas Super Giants 221/4 in 18.3 overs (Faf du Plessis 113*, Wiaan Mulder 31*) by 6 wickets