One of teen sensation Kwena Maphaka’s chief concerns as he arrived in Mumbai on Wednesday was: could he cope with the food, specifically its pungency?
“I asked [teammate] Dewald [Brevis] about the food, and he said it’s all good, really nice. He said that I am a better spice handler than he is, so I shouldn’t be too bad.”
However, the heat Maphaka has produced since announcing himself to the cricket world in February has seen his life take an accelerated turn.
From being buried in books as he completes matric at St Stithians College, to salvaging a win for the DP World (Central Gauteng) Lions in a “super over” in the Cricket SA (CSA) T20 Challenge, and now the incessant hooting and bright lights of Bollywood, his career trajectory has taken off like a rocket.
“It’s been a crazy year, to say the least. I do pinch myself (occasionally),” the 17-year-old said from Mumbai, shortly after completing his first training session with his new teammates at the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
“It’s really exciting to be part of a system like this. It is something that I have dreamt about for a really long time, it is something that any cricketer who’s been watching for the last 10 to 15 years has thought about.”
Nevertheless, even for those who have cited his maturity, and seen his majestic talent firsthand, the prospect of witnessing Maphaka racing in to bowl in combination with Jasprit Bumrah at a jam-packed Wankhede engenders disbelief.
It’s really exciting to be part of a system like this. It is something that I have dreamt about for a really long time
“You always think that, for such a tournament, it will be established internationals that will play. That’s been the case over the years, but for Kwena to go there now, it’s just … wow,” said Malibongwe Maketa, the SA U-19 coach at the recent World Cup, where Maphaka took 21 wickets.
Not since Kagiso Rabada broke onto the scene in 2014, when he led the SA U-19 team to a world title, has a player made such an enormous impression so quickly.
Even Rabada, who made his international debut eight months after the junior World Cup, took three years before signing his first IPL contract. Maphaka will reportedly earn R1.1m for his stint at the Mumbai Indians, although how often he will actually play remains to be seen.
Mumbai, who are coached by former Proteas wicketkeeper and head coach, Mark Boucher has Bumrah, Gerald Coetzee and Brevis, who was Maphaka’s teammate at the 2022 U-19 World Cup, in their squad. “Brevy and I have a good relationship. I speak to him basically every day,” said Maphaka.
While coming to terms with his growing stardom, Maphaka is pleasant company, according to Lions teammate Tshepo Moreki.
Moreki and Maketa both agree Maphaka is not short of self-belief, but doesn’t possess that characteristic in an overbearing manner. “Just in the three games he’s played for (the Lions in the CSA T20 challenge), beyond the pace and the skill, it’s his temperament that sets him apart,” said Moreki.
“He’s assured but not brash, just quietly confident. You can tell he backs himself but not in a way that is off-putting. You want to go into battle with him. He’s got a big heart.”
Besides the hot food and the heat, the other big challenge for Maphaka is completing his matric. The Lions had initially decided not to play him in any away games in the T20 Challenge. But now being pretty far away and for an extended period, Maphaka has some big adjustments to make.
“St Stithians has been super supportive and so have Mumbai Indians. I have quite a few tutors back home that I will be doing online sessions with whenever I get a gap,” he said.
The prospect of playing in front of crowds numbering 40,000 to 100,000 is both nerve-wracking and exciting. “You never see an IPL game that doesn’t have a packed stadium, that’s going to be a first for me and it will be really special to see that for the first time.
“There’s definitely nerves looming around, but I try to take it in my stride. I think it’s a good thing to be nervous, it shows you care, and that it means quite a bit.”
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