The youngest cricketer to get the call-up to the U19 South African World Cup side aged at just 16, Kwena Maphaka shows the promise needed to be part of the next generation of Proteas to the top of the ICC Cricket Standings.

Born to a sports-loving family and raised in Johannesburg, Kwena first got into cricket at around two years old - his older brother (then eight) needed a partner for their backyard games.

The left-arm pace bowler counts Rafael Nadal, Michael Phelps and KGR's own Kagiso Rabada as his sporting heroes and like Rabada, he has come through the ranks at St. Stithians School, following in the footsteps of one of South Africa's greatest ever pacers.

Kwena has a 'wise beyond his years' approach to the mental side of the game: "Stay calm on the outside even though you may not feel that way on the inside."

In 2024, Kwena certainly put his own advice into practice - taking a total of 21 wickets at the U19 World Cup to be awarded Player of the Tournament, before making his IPL debut for Mumbai Indians as an injury replacement.

His rapid rise continued from there. He made his T20I debut on 23 August 2024 against the West Indies, becoming South Africa's youngest ever male international cricketer at 18 years and 137 days. He followed that with his ODI debut on 19 December 2024 versus Pakistan, impressing with figures of 4/72, including the wicket of Babar Azam. Then, in January 2025, Maphaka became the youngest player to make his Test debut for South Africa in the New Year's match in Cape Town — capping a remarkable rise through all three formats.

Along the way he claimed nine wickets in the T20 series against Australia, set a record as the youngest bowler from a full-member nation to take four wickets in a T20I, and was named T20 Challenge Player of the Season at the CSA Awards 2024-25.

With all three international formats under his belt and a maturity that belies his age, the journey for this Johannesburg-born pacer feels like it has only just begun.

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ACCOLADES & ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• (2022) Youngest player ever selected for South Africa’s U19 World Cup squad at age 15.
• (2023) First-Class debut for South Africa A against Sri Lanka A.
• (2024) ICC U19 World Cup Player of the Tournament, finishing as the leading wicket-taker with 21 wickets.
• (2024) First player to take three five-wicket hauls in a single edition of the U19 World Cup.
• (2024) Youngest South African to make an IPL debut, appearing for Mumbai Indians at age 17.
• (2024) Youngest South African man to debut in international cricket (T20I vs West Indies) at 18 years and 137 days.
• (2024) CSA U19 Men’s Player of the Year.
• (2024) Youngest ODI debutant for South Africa, taking 4/72 against Pakistan.
• (2025) Youngest Test debutant for South Africa (vs Pakistan at age 18 years, 270 days), breaking Paul Adams' 1995 record.
• (2026) Selected for the South African squad for the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
• Most career wickets in Under-19 Men's Cricket World Cup history (tied at 28).

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