He’ll be there in a few years

South Africa captain Temba Bavuma made a huge prediction as he hailed Kagiso Rabada following his heroics against Australia in the WTC 2025 final at Lord’s in London on Saturday, June 14. The remarks came as Rabada scalped nine wickets, including a five-wicket haul in the summit clash, as the Proteas beat Australia by five wickets to end their 27-year-long ICC trophy drought.

Bavuma believes the ace Proteas pacer will join the ICC Hall of Fame in the coming years. Seven players, including former South Africa skipper Graeme Smith and Proteas legend Hashim Amla, joined the ICC’s elite list ahead of the ultimate Test.

Bavuma said in the post-match show (via ESPNcricinfo):

“KG is a massive player, a couple of days ago I went to the Hall of Fame inductees, I think he’ll be on there in a few years. Came into the game under controversy and did what he did.”

Rabada now has 336 wickets in 71 Tests (130 innings) with the help of 17 fifers.

“Unbelievable” – Temba Bavuma lauds Aiden Markram and Kagiso Rabada for match-winning performance in the WTC 2025 final

Temba Bavuma also showered his praise on the Player of the Match, Aiden Markram, for his match-winning performance in the WTC 2025 final. The 35-year-old said in the same interaction:

“Aiden is unbelievable, people have questioned his place, but he has character. He played in true Aiden fashion, he and Rabada have carried the character.”

“We got ourselves into the final, there were doubters on the route we took, this win squashes that. Here’s an opportunity for us as a nation, divided as we are, to unite. You can be rest assured we’ll celebrate as one,” he added.

Aiden Markram smashed 136 runs off 207 balls, spending 383 minutes at the crease. The right-handed batter got out when the Proteas needed just six runs to win the contest. His innings comprised 14 boundaries. During his ton, he shared a 147-run partnership with skipper Temba Bavuma to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Click here to check out the full SA vs AUS WTC 2025 final scorecard.