Kyle Verreynne

Kyle Verreynne is a fine wicket-keeper batter who has made a name for himself while playing for the Cape Cobras in the South African domestic T20 competition. Verreynee showed his class at a young age and was awarded a first-class debut at the tender age of 18. 

Studying at the Wynberg Boys’ High School, which had produced future international cricketers like Jacques Kallis and Richard Levi. The youngster was part of the South African squad in the 2016 Under-19 World Cup and ended the tournament as the second-highest run-getter for the Proteas, having made his first-class debut a year earlier.

Growing up idolising Mr 360 AB de Villiers, Verreynne is an ideal modern-day batter who can hit in different directions of the ground. Like many other batters, Verreynne considers that hitting a good straight drive to start an innings keeps him in good shape and sync, which helps him get the confidence to build long innings. 

On the back of some consistent performances for the Cape Cobras in South African domestic cricket, Verreynne was awarded a national call-up for the ODI series against Australia just prior to the COVID lockdown.

In the shifting tides of South African cricket, as veterans made way for the new generation, Kyle Verreynne emerged not with grand fanfare but with quiet persistence. A calm presence behind the stumps and a technician with the bat, Verreynne's rise from a domestic standout to a cornerstone of the national setup has been one of steady evolution, grit, and a hunger to belong.

The journey took flight in June 2021, when the then-23-year-old made his Test debut against the West Indies at Gros Islet. A mere 6 runs in his first innings was hardly reflective of what was to come. 

The greater reward came a few months later, not on the international stage but in the domestic arena, where he was the runaway star of the Cape Cobras season. 

It didn’t take long for Verreynne to translate that promise into international substance. In February 2022, facing New Zealand away from home, he stitched a masterclass under pressure—a defiant 136 not out in Christchurch that announced him as a long-format batter of pedigree. 

However, cricket’s learning curve is rarely smooth. The 2023 season saw a dip, both in opportunities and returns. With just 23 runs across 2 Tests, Verreynne’s average plummeted to 11.50, and murmurs began around South Africa’s hunt for wicketkeeper-batters who could consistently score in all conditions. But what defined Verreynne wasn't the slump—it was his response.

By early 2024, the comeback was in motion. On February 1, in the high-octane SA20 league, he hammered 116 runs against MI Cape Town, his highest score in T20 cricket and among the standout knocks of the tournament. It wasn't just a personal milestone—it was a statement that Verreynne could adapt, explode, and lead in the shortest format, too. The momentum carried into red-ball cricket as he registered 384 runs in 8 Tests, averaging 34.90, with two centuries and a fifty. The lean patch was now firmly in the rearview mirror.

Then came 2025, and with it, the return to Cape Town for a defining home moment. On January 3, in front of an adoring Newlands crowd and against a resurgent Pakistan side, Verreynne struck a fluent 100, anchoring the innings and his place in the Test XI. 

Looking ahead, Kyle Verreynne stands at a critical juncture. No longer just a fringe option or a future hope, he is now a seasoned player poised to become a long-term fixture in the South African middle order.

(As of May 2025)