Despite tasting success so early in his career, the 18-year-old remains focused on his studies.
A Mumbai Indians (MI) teenage sensation has revealed that he had to study for his school exams while on an international tour.
Proteas young fast bowler Kwena Maphaka, who was bought by the five-time champions ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2024) season, recently became the youngest South Africa cricketer to make his international debut in the recently-concluded tour of West Indies.
Despite tasting success so early in his career, the 18-year-old is focused on his studies and will return to school after living the dream of playing cricket at the highest level. The left-arm pacer also further disclosed that he had been studying as his school prelims loom.
Maphaka was quoted as saying by iol.com.za, “When I go home, it’s into prelims again. I have been studying on tour, unfortunately. It’s going to be a little bit of studying and a little bit of work. After prelims, it’s the finals and then done with school.”
Kwena Maphaka first turned heads when he was seen playing for South Africa Under-19 earlier this year. The Proteas youngster impressed everyone, finishing as the top wicket-taker at the mega-event with 21 scalps in six matches to his name.
This prompted MI to show their faith in the youngster and rope him in as a replacement for the injured Sri Lankan pacer Dilshan Madushanka.
In the recent three-match T20I series against West Indies, Maphaka featured in all the games, bowling ten overs and finishing with a solitary scalp.
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However, it remains to be seen if the teenager will be selected in the upcoming ODIs against Afghanistan, slated to begin September 18.
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