Former CSK player and RCB captain Faf du Plessis has picked MS Dhoni as the best finisher in IPL history.

Speaking to ESPNCricinfo and playing in a “winner remains” format, Faf du Plessis was asked to name the best finisher in the IPL.

Yusuf Pathan, one of the first contenders

In the early stages of the game, former India all-rounder Yusuf Pathan beat, at least in du Plessis’ opinion, the likes of Albie Morkel, Rahul Tewatia, Rinku Singh and Shashank Singh.

Yusuf Pathan was in a rare category of Indian batsmen who could generate as much power as he did, especially during the middle and final overs. His bowling also helped, and his heroics earned his team three IPL titles: for Rajasthan Royals in 2008 and for Kolkata Knight Riders in 2012 and 2014.

Pathan’s masterpiece in the IPL was arguably a rescue act in the 2010 season when he smashed a century off just 37 balls. It was the fastest IPL century at the time and remains the third-fastest century in terms of balls faced.

Du Plessis eventually chose fellow South African Heinrich Klaasen instead of Pathan, and the current SRH batsman remained in the game for a long time.

Klaasen dominates the intermediate phase

Faf du Plessis praised Klassen and preferred him to established names such as Dinesh Karthik, David Miller, Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Glenn Maxwell and Tim David.

Since joining Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2023, Heinrich Klaasen has been a vital cog in their aggressive batting approach and has closed many matches for SRH taking advantage of the platform provided by their aggressive openers. When SRH finished second in 2024, Klaasen was an important part of the batting lineup. In 2025, Klaasen scored a century off just 39 balls against the Kolkata Knight Riders.

Current Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya won against Klaasen, but his stay was not long.

Dasher Dhoni takes the award as Faf du Plessis sings it as GOAT finisher

Although Faf du Plessis preferred Andre Russell over Pandya, he chose five-time IPL captain MS Dhoni instead of Russell and took him all the way. du Plessis has been a part of three IPL title-winning teams with Chennai Super Kings, and all of those teams were led by Dhoni.

Dhoni then staved off a tough challenge from both AB de Villiers and Kieron Pollard and du Plessis named him the greatest IPL finisher of all time.

Dhoni’s skills in the death overs are legendary, and there are countless stories of how he took CSK to the limit in his heyday. Not to mention his exploits as a five-time IPL trophy-winning captain.

Also Read: CSK provide official update on MS Dhoni, Ayush Mhatre’s return and Khaleel Ahmed’s replacement

So far, Dhoni has not been seen in action for Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2026 due to a calf strain and subsequent recovery from the injury. He is expected to return soon, especially as CSK is currently struggling in the tournament.

The best IPL finisher, according to @FtoF1307is ___ 🍿 pYodo.twYottmyr.doohmetro/7t9northvFzW.myYo

-ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) TOprYoI 20, 2026

After retiring from IPL 2026, Faf du Plessis joined the commentary panel for this year’s tournament and became a fan favorite with his insights.