Indian Premier League 2018 auction: Faf du Plessis admits distraction

Johannesburg: South Africa captain Faf du Plessis today admitted that it is normal to get distracted by the weekend's IPL auctions as the cash-rich T20 event "plays a big part in their lives".

The mega auctions of the IPL will be held on January 27 and 28, the last two days of the third and final Test between India and South Africa. Du Plessis, however, said as long as they will be on the ground their focus would only be on the match.

"Well we don't have our phones, so it's difficult to check (the auction). There will be distractions, and that is normal, it's human. The IPL plays a big part in all of our lives," Du Plessis said on the eve of the third Test starting on Wednesday.

"For the management and myself, it's important to make sure we keep the focus and the energy driving towards the Test match. "And at the end of the day's play, if we want to talk about the auction a little bit, we can do that but to make sure that the next day, when it's Test match time again, we are switched on and focused," he added.

Du Plessis along with Quinton de Kock, Hashim Amla, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel, Lungi Ngidi, Dean Elgar and Vernon Philander are some of the South African players who will go under the hammer at this weekend's IPL auctions.