Kwena Tshegofatso Maphaka was born on April 8, 2006, in Johannesburg, South Africa. The young man quickly rose to be one of the most important left-arm fast bowlers in international cricket. Maphaka is 5 feet 10 inches tall, or 178 cm. His interest in cricket started early in his childhood, inspired by his athletic family background: his father, Maboe Maphaka, played football, and his mother, Raesibe Maphaka, was an athlete.
From playing garden cricket with his elder brother, Tetelo, who also pursued a cricketing career, Maphaka’s talent was evident early on. By age six, he was representing his school’s Under-9 team and later became a key player for St Stithians Boys’ College cricket team.
Also read, gerald coetzee
At just 15, Maphaka made his Under-19 international cricket debut, but his talent soon shone brightly on a bigger platform. He significantly broke through while participating in the 2024 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup, for which he was declared Player of the Tournament. He obtained a record three five-wicket hauls in the same edition, taking 21 wickets at an average of 9.71, and is the fourth-highest wicket-taker in the tournament’s history.
His domestic career is also with teams such as the DP World Lions and Paarl Royals. In March 2024, Maphaka was signed by the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as a replacement for the injured Dilshan Madushanka. His debut against SunRisers Hyderabad was tough as he gave away 66 runs in four overs, but his selection only highlighted his growing reputation in the cricketing world.
Internationally, Maphaka continued to rise to fame as he became the youngest South African male cricketer to make his T20 Internationals debut at 18 years and 137 days in August 2024 when South Africa was playing against the West Indies. He made his ODI debut on December 19, 2024, against Pakistan and was outstanding, returning with 4/72 while getting Babar Azam among his scalps.
Maphaka is always delivering at quite impressive velocities; his fastest delivery clocks around 140 km/h (87 mph), which proves to be very challenging for the batsmen.
Maphaka personal life is relatively private. He is 18 years old and unmarried, with his focus being on his cricketing career. His rapid rise through the ranks, marked by record-breaking performances and early international exposure, positions him as a promising talent for South African cricket.
There is great expectation regarding Maphaka participation in the 2025 season of IPL. Experiences of the previous season along with his international outings would see to betterment of contributions in his franchise.