‘He’s lying in bed with my sister’: Faf du Plessis gives quirky reply on teammate’s absence from squad

On Sunday, Plessis was questioned about why his teammate Hardus Viljoen was not included in the squad for the encounter against Nelson Mandela Bay Giants at Boland Park, paarl on Sunday, after he lost the toss.

South Africa Test captain Faf du Plessis is currently plying his trade in Mzansi Super League 2019 as the captain of Paarl Rocks franchise. On Sunday, Plessis was questioned about why his teammate Hardus Viljoen was not included in the squad for the encounter against Nelson Mandela Bay Giants at Boland Park, Paarl, after he lost the toss.

Faf du Plessis at the toss. (Twitter/Paarl Rocks)

In his reply, the 35-year-old said: “Hardus Viljoen not playing today because he’s lying in bed with my sister as they got married yesterday.” The reply prompted a laugh from the presenter who had asked the question.

Viljoen had been dating du Plessis’ sister, Remi Rhynners, for almost a year before he got married this past Saturday. Because of the wedding, the player was absent from the game.

After being asked to bat first, Rocks rode on a brisk innings from wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne, who hammered 36 runs in 20 ball, to take his side’s total to 168/5 in 20 overs. Nelson Mandela Bay Giants, in reply, could only muster 156/6 in 20 overs, despite Heino Kuhn hammering 58 runs in 43 balls.

While Viljoen has become a rising star in T20 leagues across the world, he has not become a regular member in the international team for the Proteas. The 30-year-old has only represented South Africa in one Test, which he played against England in 2016. The hard-hitting batsman will be playing for Kings XI Punjab in the next year’s IPL, as he was retained by the franchise.