At 9:22 am on Friday, Biratnagar Kings piqued Nepali cricket fans' curiosity with a Facebook post of an empty throne with the trophies of IPL and CPL side by side, suggesting a big name in the business would play for the franchise in the second edition of the Nepal Premier League, and that the news would be revealed later in the day.

Asking the fans in another Facebook post at 12:09 pm whether they had figured it out, Biratnagar Kings argued that the fans were not even close, suggesting that the individual was on an unexpected list.

Around two hours later, a silhouette, with an ace and a king of the cards in the background, was revealed, only leaving fans more curious. As per the franchise’s video posted on Facebook at 3:42 pm, even the players of the club were unaware of who the superstar was.

With the fans waiting for the reveal, the Biratnagar Kings still kept it a secret. In a post at 4:32 pm, the franchise finally declared that it was being revealed after half an hour.

Thousands of fans kept commenting on those posts, guessing different names of global superstars in the sport. Of them, there were several guesses that turned out right.

And when the declaration came at 5:04 pm, Nepali cricket fans were left out of their seats—Faf du Plessis, whose full name is Francois du Plessis, was officially a Biratnagar King.

Du Plessis is a well-known name in the households of cricket fans worldwide, as the South African legend proved his worth whenever he was on the ground.

“Awesome signing Biratnagar Kings!!!” the Irish commentator Andrew Leonard commented on the Biratnagar Kings’s post. “The most brilliant ambassador for the sport who will light up Nepal no doubt!!”

Du Plessis has the experience of playing in all the available formats of cricket. He has also captained South Africa in Test, ODI and T20I.

He began his senior international career for the Proteas through ODIs on January 18, 2011, when Cape Town hosted India. It was the third of the five-match ODI series when du Plessis entered the ground for the first time donning the senior team’s jersey, and made a mark with a maiden fifty. By the time he departed, he was at 60 off 78.

When he played his final and 143rd ODI for South Africa on July 6, 2019, du Plessis had amassed 5,507 runs from 136 innings.

Likewise, he scored his maiden fifty when he made his debut in Test cricket, against Australia on November 24, 2012. Du Plessis, who departed for 78 off 159, was the final wicket to fall for the Proteas in their first inning of the second Test in Adelaide.

His last Test match was against Pakistan in February 2021. In 118 innings of 69 Test matches for South Africa, du Plessis scored 4,163 runs.

Alongside mesmerising stats in the longer formats, du Plessis’ time in the shortest format, the T20, has been equally magical. Debuting against England at Chester-le-Street on September 8, 2012, du Plessis departed for a paltry (4 off 3).

However, when he played his final T20I, which was against the same opponent, in Cape Town on December 1, 2020, du Plessis was not out at 52 off 37. It was his 50th T20I for the Proteas, and it was his 10th fifty in T20Is.

Du Plessis scored 1,528 runs in T20Is for the national team, batting in all the matches he played, and never getting out for a duck.

His contributions for the national side helped him gain a place in every season of the IPL from 2012 to 2025, except 2013 when he missed the season due to injury. Playing his first IPL for the Chennai Super Kings, he was in the yellow jersey for seven seasons—except for in 2016 and 2017 when he played for Rising Pune Supergiant, the team that came into existence after CSK was suspended and disappeared after CSK’s suspension was revoked. He was crucial for the CSK’s title-winning seasons in 2018 and 2021.

He was later procured by Royal Challengers Bengaluru, where he played across three seasons (2022 to 2024). His latest stint in the IPL was with Delhi Capitals last season.

In the 154 matches (147 innings) he played in the IPL, du Plessis scored 4,773 runs including 39 half-centuries. Now, the 42-year-old will raise the charts of the Nepal Premier League as he will play for the franchise from the easternmost part of the country.

There’s one more curiosity for the fans: whether he will play all matches of the season is still a question.