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.
| 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 |
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.
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.
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.