In Paarl, South Africa, former Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik praised young South African bowler Kwena Maphaka, calling him a “gem” for the national team. Maphaka, who is just 18 years old, impressed everyone by taking 21 wickets during the ICC U19 World Cup last year. He made his debut for the Proteas in all formats during the home series against Pakistan from December to January.
So far, Maphaka has played one Test match, two One Day Internationals (ODIs), and five Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). In those matches, he has shown great talent, with three Test wickets at an average of 30, five ODI wickets at an average of 24.40, and three T20I wickets. He has played for the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and was recently bought by the Rajasthan Royals for ₹1.50 crores.
Ahead of the Paarl Royals’ first game in the third season of SA20 against the Sunrisers Eastern Cape, Karthik said that when he first saw Maphaka play, it felt like he was a bowler who could really test opponents. Karthik mentioned that players often have to survive his first spell, which is not an easy task. “Kwena can handle pressure and has grown into a talented cricketer. He is special and needs to be protected,” Karthik said.
Karthik advised Maphaka to take care of his body as he gets older so he can keep playing at his best. He believes that the SA20 tournament is a fantastic chance for Maphaka to show what he can do and help his team win.
Karthik is the first-ever Indian player to join the league and retired from international cricket last year. He had a successful career, scoring 3,463 runs in 180 matches with one century and 17 fifties.
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