Young South African pacer Kwena Maphaka made a strong comeback after a disappointing tri-nation series in Zimbabwe. The 19-year-old took a record-breaking four-wicket haul in the first T20I against Australia at Darwin on Sunday, but South Africa still fell short, losing by 17 runs. The second match of the series will be played in Cairns on Tuesday, 12 August 2025.
Maphaka became the youngest player from a Test-playing nation to take four wickets in a T20I. He finished with figures of 4/20, a standout performance in a tough contest. The match also saw a heated exchange between Maphaka and Australian batter Tim David.
Speaking about the moment, as quoted by ESPNCricinfo, Maphaka told: “He went to the umpire and he was asking about it. I just told him to let the umpires deal with umpiring the game, and he must focus on batting.”
The left-arm quick admitted the spell was a special one, especially after his struggles in Zimbabwe, where he took only three wickets and conceded 92 runs. “It feels really good, coming off a few bad performances in Zimbabwe… it feels really good to put in a good performance for the team and make history while doing it,” Maphaka said.
Against Australia, Maphaka came into the attack after the powerplay, a move he called a “tactical ploy” to target the middle overs. “I am a guy that likes to take wickets in the middle, and I think the team understands that,” he explained.
Reflecting on his approach, he said, “It is all about reading the game and understanding what you need to do at that moment and keeping your plans as simple as possible.”
For latest sports updates: Follow RevSportz