Kwena Maphaka may just be poised to be one of the big stars of the new season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the Rajasthan Royals.
The teenager had his first taste of IPL cricket last year when he made his debut for the Mumbai Indians at the age of 17. Though he made just two appearances where he picked up one wicket across his two matches, the learning experience would have been invaluable.
After making his IPL bow, Maphaka went on to debut for South Africa in all three formats.
In January, the now 18-year-old Maphaka became the youngest-ever player to make his Test debut for South Africa in the New Year’s clash against Pakistan in Cape Town.
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Maphaka set to shine in his second Indian Premier League season
With all the international experience he had quickly gained, eight matches across all three formats, Maphaka returns to the IPL a much more mature cricketer.
"This will be my second season in the Indian Premier League. Obviously, I'm really excited," Maphaka told SportsBoom.co.za in an exclusive interview.
"I'm coming off a pretty good summer, I'd say, playing some international cricket, playing the SA20.”
Maphaka has not put a foot wrong in his rise up the cricketing ranks, and with his incredible pace and the fact that he is a left-armer, he makes an asset to any team he represents.
"Just being able to take in all those experiences from playing there, the learnings from playing against some of the best in the world, and learning from some of the best in the world, and seeing how I match up to some of the best in the world.
“I think that's definitely going to put me in good stead for the Indian Premier League coming up, where the best in the world come to play.”
The 2025 IPL starts on Saturday with a clash between the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Royal Challengers Bangalore.