Mumbai Indians announce Kwena Maphaka as a replacement for Dilshan Madushanka

Mumbai Indians announce Kwena Maphaka as a replacement for Dilshan Madushanka, who has been ruled out of IPL 2024 due to an injury. Maphaka has joined the squad and he has the distinction of being one of the youngest players both domestic and overseas to be a part of the IPL and carrying forward the MI legacy of finding new and exciting talent who are developed into high-performance cricketers.

South Africa’s 17-year-old Kwena Maphaka shot into the limelight at the U19 World Cup earlier this year where he was awarded the Player of the Tournament for picking 21 wickets. The left armer’s 21 wickets are the most ever by a pace bowler in an edition of the U19 World Cup.

He spearheaded South Africa’s attack as they made the semi-finals in home conditions. The 17-year-old has already represented South Africa A and South Africa Emerging teams. He will share the dressing room with two of the best bowlers in world cricket – Lasith Malinga, Bowling Coach and Jasprit Bumrah putting him on a path of learning, development and building on that knowledge.

Maphaka already is capable of generating serious pace and has a very mean bouncer that is known to hurry the batters up. He debuted for the South Africa U19 team at 15 & has already played in two U19 World Cups. He is capable of touching speeds of 140kph and his death bowling and yorkers were a standout too at the U19 World Cup earlier this year.

He still is in his final year of high school. A talented all-round sportsman, Maphaka has also had success in tennis and hockey. He hails from the same school as Kagiso Rabada, St. Stithians.

Mumbai Indians have over the years garnered a reputation of finding gems that go on to be international and IPL stars. Since 2008, Mumbai Indians have had young players signed for the team consistently.