Leus du Plooy has built a career on being useful everywhere. A left-handed top-order batter with a handy sideline in slow left-arm orthodox, he has made a career for himself as a fixture in county cricket and an asset on the franchise circuit. Du Plooy came through the South African system with Free State and Northerns before a move to Derbyshire in 2019 changed the shape of his career.
A Hungarian passport allowed him to play county cricket as a non-overseas player, and it proved the gateway to more than a decade in England. He wasted little time establishing himself as one of Derbyshire's most reliable batters across formats, and when Billy Godleman stepped down as captain, du Plooy took over the role. His finest season followed in 2023, when he racked up 1,236 first-class runs at an average north of 80, finishing second on Division Two's run-scoring charts. Middlesex came calling soon after, handing him a long-term contract that brought him to Lord's ahead of the 2024 season and, in time, the Middlesex captaincy across all formats too.
Leus' white-ball game grew alongside his red-ball reputation. In the SA20, he became a fixture for Joburg Super Kings, scoring crucial runs at the top of the order and even stepping into the captaincy when required. He was unable to replicate that success in The Hundred during spells with Welsh Fire and Southern Brave, prompting another move ahead of the 2026 season to Manchester Super Giants. Stints in the Pakistan Super League and ILT20 have further cemented his status as one of franchise cricket's most well-travelled professionals.
