Exclusive Kwena Maphaka: South Africa's Youngest Test Cricketer On His Rapid Rise And Future Aspirations

With Kwena Maphaka, South Africa witnessed an unrivalled rise to the highest level. Maphaka went from playing in the ICC Men's Under-19 World Cup to becoming a fully fledged, all-format Proteas player in less than 12 months a rise the country has arguably never witnessed before.

At 18-years-old, Maphaka became the youngest ever Proteas Test cricketer, breaking Paul Adams' record, which had stood for almost three decades. With sheer pace, accuracy, and consistency, Maphaka broke into the Proteas' 2025 ICC Champions Trophy squad, albeit as a travelling reserve.

South Africa made it to the semi-finals of the tournament, and even though Maphaka did not play a single game, he would have gained invaluable experience that could benefit South Africa in the future ... and more immediately in the upcoming IPL.

'The Champions Trophy was obviously my first ICC event with the senior side,' Maphaka told Independent Media in an exclusive interview .

'It was definitely different from some of my past experiences at ICC events with the U19s, where I had more of a senior role. It was quite nice and quite refreshing to be a junior again and just learn and pick up things from other guys rather than being the one to impart knowledge.'