“I will never forget this moment,” said Kagiso Rabada, one of the key heroes behind South Africa’s historic victory over Australia in the World Test Championship Final. With that win, South Africa ended a 27-year-long wait for an ICC trophy.
While Aiden Markram stole the spotlight with a brilliant century in the fourth innings, Rabada played an equally vital role in the match, dismantling Australia with a total of nine wickets across both innings. Coach Shukri Conrad hailed him as a “superstar,” though Rabada humbly refuses the label. Instead, the 30-year-old fast bowler remains focused on hard work and constant improvement — even stating he would shed blood for the team if needed.
South Africa beat Australia by five wickets last Saturday at Lord’s, chasing down a target of 282 runs. Markram scored a match-winning 136 to claim the Player of the Match award. Rabada, meanwhile, took 5 wickets for 51 runs in the first innings and 4 for 54 in the second, lifting himself to fourth on South Africa’s all-time Test wicket-takers list, surpassing Allan Donald.
Among bowlers with at least 150 Test wickets, Rabada holds the best strike rate in Test history.
However, Rabada’s path to this triumph wasn’t smooth. Just months earlier, he had made headlines for the wrong reasons. In April, Rabada abruptly left the IPL midway through the season. His franchise, Gujarat Titans, initially cited “personal reasons” for his departure.
Later, Rabada himself revealed the truth — he had tested positive in a drug test conducted during South Africa’s SA20 franchise league earlier in the year. When the results came back in April, he was handed a one-month suspension and returned home.
After serving the ban, he made a low-key comeback, bowling just four overs across two matches — one in the IPL and another in a warm-up match against Zimbabwe — before walking into the high-stakes Test final.
And at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground, known as the home of cricket, Rabada delivered when it mattered most. With 575 international wickets to his name, he played a crucial role in helping South Africa break their title drought — but he remains grounded.
“I don’t see myself as a star,” Rabada said. “I see myself as someone who is ready to give blood for this team and who wants to work hard and keep improving. As a cricketer, I always want to get better. I play for this badge with a lot of pride. I’m working really hard. It’s the spells in the second innings, when you’re a bit tired — those are the ones that count the most.”
Rabada has always performed well against Australia. In 11 Tests against them, he has taken 58 wickets at an average of 21.39. Winning a final against a team he respects deeply made the moment even more meaningful.
“I will never forget it. None of the guys will. Playing against Australia — they’re a very experienced team, and we respect them a lot. Some of their players were already playing international cricket when we were still in high school. So this is special, special, special. I honestly cannot describe it in words.”
