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Kagiso Rabada

Rabada
Rabada Image: Wikimedia Commons. Blue Square Thing / CC BY-SA 4.0

Overview

Kagiso Rabada (born 25 May 1995) is a South African international cricketer who plays all three formats of the game. A right-arm fast bowler, he is regarded as one of the leading Test bowlers of his generation, having topped both the ICC ODI and Test bowler rankings as a young player.

Key facts

Full name Kagiso Rabada
Date of birth 25 May 1995
Nationality South African
Role Bowler
Bowling style Right-arm fast
Formats Test, ODI, T20I
International debut November 2014 (limited-overs)
Test debut November 2015

Background

Rabada emerged through South Africa's domestic system and was elevated to the senior national side in his late teens. His pace, bounce and ability to swing the new ball quickly established him as a frontline strike bowler across formats.

International career

Rabada made his international debut for South Africa in November 2014 in limited-overs cricket. He followed this with his Test debut a year later, in November 2015, and went on to play across all three international formats.

By January 2018, at the age of 22, Rabada had simultaneously topped the ICC rankings for both ODI bowlers and Test bowlers. In July 2018, he became the youngest bowler to take 150 wickets in Test cricket. He is also one of the few bowlers to have taken a hat-trick in two different international formats — ODIs and T20Is.

In 2025, Rabada was a member of the South African team that won the 2025 ICC World Test Championship final, only the second ICC title won by South Africa.

Honours and recognition

  • July 2016 — Became the first cricketer to win six awards at Cricket South Africa's annual dinner, including Cricketer of the Year.
  • June 2018 — Won six awards at the CSA annual dinner, including Cricketer of the Year, Test Cricketer of the Year and ODI Cricketer of the Year.
  • August 2018 — Named the best young player in the world by Wisden.
  • 2025 — Member of the ICC World Test Championship-winning South African squad.

Timeline

  • 1995 — Born on 25 May.
  • November 2014 — Limited-overs international debut for South Africa.
  • November 2015 — Test debut.
  • July 2016 — Won six awards at the CSA annual dinner.
  • January 2018 — Topped both ICC Test and ODI bowler rankings.
  • June 2018 — Won six CSA annual awards for the second time.
  • July 2018 — Became the youngest bowler to 150 Test wickets.
  • August 2018 — Named best young player in the world by Wisden.
  • 2025 — Won the ICC World Test Championship final with South Africa.

Significance

Rabada's swift rise to the top of both major ICC bowling rankings while still in his early twenties, combined with his record as the youngest bowler to 150 Test wickets, has made him a defining fast-bowling figure for South African cricket in the post-2010 era. His role in the 2025 World Test Championship triumph contributed to one of South Africa's most significant achievements in international cricket.

References