While supporting India in their semi-final decider, Temba Bavuma also reflected on his own team’s campaign, particularly the performances of pace forward Kagiso Rabada.
Rabada’s figures in the tournament – four wickets in six games – may not reflect his usual dominance, but Bavuma insists the senior signing remains a vital figure. He pointed to Rabada’s impressive spell of 2/22 against the West Indies as evidence of his enduring class. According to Bavuma, the dropped catches from Rabad’s bowling overshadowed what could have been much more impressive.
“I think he was also unlucky that where there were a lot of drop catches from his bowling. I mean his characters could have looked completely different there. So for me, from a captain’s point of view, I wouldn’t be unhappy with his performances,” Bavuma explained.
The Proteas captain also praised the collective strength of the South African pace unit. Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen and Corbin Bosch delivered consistently and ensured that the burden did not fall solely on Rabada. Bavuma noted that it was rare for four fast bowlers in the same side to peak at the same time, yet the South African attack largely achieved that balance.
Apart from the statistics, Bavuma highlighted Rabada’s stature in the team. At 30, with almost 600 international wickets, he described him as the complete “package” – a bowler who thrives under pressure. He mentioned Rabada’s outstanding performance in the Test World Cup final where he rose to the occasion when scrutiny was at its highest.
“If I was a betting man, I’d definitely put money on him to do something special,” Bavuma added, expressing his belief that Rabada’s defining moment in this tournament could still be around the corner.
