Kwena Maphaka’s late signing for the Mumbai Indians might just give the young paceman a chance to prove his T20 World Cup case.
Maphaka’s impressive efforts at the Under-19 Cricket World Cup have brought him to the attention of T20 franchises.
It helps that left-arm fast bowlers are the type of player now considered an essential part of a T20 attack.
England have enjoyed fantastic success with their buffet of southpaws and other nations and franchise teams are catching on to the trend.
Maphaka is especially impressive considering that he is just 17 years old and already possesses weapons in his bowling arsenal that many bowlers never master.
His 21 wickets at the 2024 Under-19 World Cup are the most ever by a paceman in any edition of the event.
Maphaka is taking time out of his final year of school to join the Mumbai Indians in the IPL.
Anyone who has seen Maphaka bowl understands the urgency with which his career is being accelerated even if several voices have suggested that patience should be shown.
Other T20 wonderkids like Tristan Stubbs and Dewald Brevis have had a gradual transition into the Proteas picture over time even if it was clear they were part of the long-term plans.
It is not unheard of for teenage fast bowlers to ascend to international cricket with Mohammad Amir making his T20I debut less than two months after his 17th birthday.
A match-winning spell from the talented Kwena Maphaka 👏
— ICC (@ICC) January 19, 2024
Don't miss out on the searing yorkers in the @aramco POTM highlights 📹#U19WorldCup pic.twitter.com/0m0RhhMR5s
South Africa’s record for the youngest player to play a T20I is held by Kagiso Rabada who was 19 when he took to the Adelaide Oval to face Australia back in 2014.
Rabada is a hero and role model to Maphaka who attends St Stithians, the Proteas quick’s alma mater.
Former Proteas coach Mark Boucher is now in charge at the Mumbai Indians and he looks to be making the most of the next generation of South African players.
Dewald Brevis and Gerald Coetzee are on the books of MI as well and with Boucher at the helm the South Africans should have a good shot at making a big impact in this season’s IPL.
Maphaka comes into the team for left-arm fast bowler Dilshan Madushanka of Sri Lanka and the like-for-like nature of the replacement hints that the youngster could get his fair share of overs through this IPL campaign.
If he can impress at the IPL, Maphaka will make a strong case to be called up for the T20 World Cup later this year.
Other Protea’s left-arm quicks being in the tournament also means that comparison will be inevitable. Still, the pressure will be on the likes of Marco Jansen and Nandre Burger to hold their places in the pecking order.
Maphaka can only go up from here, it is just a matter of how quickly it happens.
