"He has a fast bowler’s soul in him" - South Africa U-19 star Kwena Maphaka opens up on his dream to dismiss Virat Kohli in Tests
South African teenage sensation Kwena Maphaka has stated that his dream is to dismiss Indian superstar Virat Kohli in Tests. At 17, Maphaka has grabbed the cricketing headlines with his sensational showing in the ongoing Under-19 World Cup opener against the West Indies.
The left-arm medium pacer returned with figures of 5/38 to help the hosts register a 31-run win to kickstart their campaign. Meanwhile, Kohli is coming off a successful recent tour of South Africa, scoring 172 runs in four innings at an average of 43 on bowler-friendly conditions.
The former skipper's heroics helped India walk away with a 1-2 drawn series in South Africa for only the second time in history.
Speaking to Indian Express, Maphaka hailed Kohli as a fast bowler by soul and dreamt of dismissing the legendary batter.
"If he is still playing Test cricket, I would love to take the wicket of one of the greatest batters of all time and that is Virat Kohli. It is easier to relate to someone who is in and around our generation. Just the way he plays the game, the intensity he brings, the consistency he has throughout his career. It’s insane. He has a fast bowler’s soul in him," said Maphaka.
Despite being only 17, Maphaka is already playing his second U-19 World Cup and has a contract with the Paarl Royals in the SA20.
Hailed as the left-handed Kagiso Rabada, the youngster is being fast-tracked into the next star of the South African pace factory, having already featured in their A side.
"Lucky enough to watch Dale Steyn bowl live a few times" - Kwena Maphaka
Despite the comparisons with Kagiso Rabada, Kwena Maphaka opened up on idolizing and trying to emulate former South African pacer Dale Steyn in his growing-up years.
Steyn remains South Africa's most successful Test bowler with 439 wickets in 93 matches at a phenomenal average of 22.95, including 26 five-wicket hauls.
"I was lucky enough to watch Dale Steyn bowl live a few times. He has definitely been someone that I have tried to emulate. I have tried to keep something like his aggression in my game. It’s amazing to see what he has done, taking the most Test wickets in SA history, it’s an incredible feat. There are definitely a few things that I tried to take away from his (Steyn’s) action. But I tried to keep my action as natural as it can be and create my own brand," said Maphaka.
Maphaka will be in action next when South Africa U-19 takes on England U-19 in their second Group B encounter on Tuesday, January 23.
England U-19 began their World Cup campaign with a comfortable seven-wicket win over Scotland.