Kagiso Rabada

Known for his thunderbolts with an average speed of 145 kph, Kagiso Rabada grabbed the eyeballs for his pinpoint yorker against the deadly MS Dhoni in an ODI game at the Green Park in Kanpur back in 2015. He later showcased his prowess versus Andre Russell in a super over in IPL 2019.    

Over the years, Rabada has become the leader of the Proteas bowling attack in the current lineup. Picking up the Lions on the back of strong performances in the ICC U-19 World Cup 2014, the speedster took a record 14 wickets in a match against the Dolphins, which is the best figure in domestic cricket in South Africa.

Rabada made his ODI debut against Bangladesh in July 2015, and instantly shot to fame after picking a hat-trick on his debut. The youngster took 6 wickets for just 18 runs and declared his arrival on the international stage. After stunning Bangladesh at their home, KG had a terrific run against the Indians in India, where he had some stunning battles against MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan. He was awarded the Cricketer of the Year on the back of a splendid debut season.

After a tremendous season, Rabada caught the eyes of multiple franchises before the start of the 2017 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Eventually, Delhi Capitals bought the youngster for a whopping INR 5 Crore. After his introduction to the prestigious tournament, the fiery pacer has had middling performances but had shown the sparks of how good he can be.

After being injury-ridden in the 2018 IPL, Rabada returned and set the IPL alight in 2019. He finished just one wicket behind the leading wicket-taker, Imran Tahir, despite playing 5 fewer games. The whole world got a glimpse of Kagiso Rabada in IPL 2020 when he won the purple cap ahead of Jasprit Bumrah by rattling 30 wickets in just 17 games, which led Delhi Capitals to their first finals in 13 seasons.

On the Test front, Rabada became the top-ranked Test bowler in the world after picking up five wickets against India during the first Test of India’s tour of South Africa in 2018, displacing the legendary James Anderson. Later that summer, playing against Sri Lanka, Rabada surpassed Harbhajan Singh to become the youngest ever bowler to pick 150 wickets in Test cricket and the third-fastest South African bowler to take 150 wickets.

With each passing year, Rabada became more and more destructive, and by the end of 2018, he had the most dismissals by any bowler (52) in that year. He reached the milestone of 200 wickets in Test cricket while playing against Pakistan in the first Test in January 2021.

In the 2022 IPL mega auction, Kagiso Rabada was acquired by Punjab Kings for INR 9.25 crore (approximately $1.1 million). In April 2023, he reached a significant milestone by claiming his 100th IPL wicket in just his 64th match, making him the fastest bowler in IPL history to achieve this feat.

Rabada's impact in international cricket has been equally remarkable. During South Africa’s tour of Pakistan in 2021, he became only the eighth South African bowler to reach 200 Test wickets, achieving the milestone by dismissing Hasan Ali in the first Test.

Later that year, in September 2021, he was included in South Africa's squad for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup. During the Proteas’ final match of the tournament, Rabada made history by securing South Africa’s first-ever T20I hat-trick against England.

His dominance in Test cricket continued into 2022. In January, he played his 50th Test match during South Africa's third Test against India. Later, in August 2022, during the first Test against England at Lord’s, he registered his first five-wicket haul at the iconic venue. This achievement earned him a place on the prestigious Lord’s Honours Board, making him only the fourth South African bowler to do so post re-admission, joining Allan Donald, Makhaya Ntini, and Vernon Philander.

In May 2024, Rabada was once again named in South Africa’s squad for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, further solidifying his importance in the national team setup.

In October 2024, he etched his name in cricketing history by taking his 300th Test wicket on the opening day of South Africa’s match against Bangladesh. This milestone made him the 39th bowler in Test history to achieve the feat, reinforcing his status as one of the premier fast bowlers of his generation.

In the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, Kagiso Rabada once again led South Africa’s pace attack with his trademark aggression and precision. He played a crucial role in guiding the Proteas to the semi-finals, delivering key performances with both the new and old ball. However, despite his efforts, South Africa fell short in the semi-final clash, marking another heartbreaking exit from an ICC event. 

In the 2025 IPL auction, Kagiso Rabada was picked by the Gujarat Titans, adding firepower to their pace attack. The South African star had a great start in his maiden season as a GT bowler, but he had to fly back home mid-season after he failed a recreational drug test. 

(As of March 2025)