South Africa lifted an ICC Trophy after 27 years by beating Australia in the WTC Final 2025.
Ever felt on top of the world? That’s exactly how Kagiso Rabada and South Africa are feeling after overcoming the Australian hurdle in the Final of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 recently at Lord’s. The Proteas lifted an International Cricket Council (ICC) trophy for the first time after 27 years. From being tagged as ‘chokers’ to striving for growth and excellence throughout the entire WTC cycle, Temba Bavuma and his men have surely silenced the critics.
Speedster Kagiso Rabada credits the entire team for their massive victory. In a match that lasted 10 sessions, South Africa started brilliantly well, limiting the Australian surge to 212. However, the defending champions bounced back soon after, bottling the new champions for 138. The South Africans had Australia reeling at 73/7 in the second innings, but a Mitchell Starc special, this time with the bat, set a target of 282 for the Proteas. And then, what followed will be forever etched in the minds and hearts of every cricketing fan.
Kagiso Rabada was South Africa’s man with the ball, with nine wickets in the match. He stands fourth in the list of South Africa’s all-time wicket-takers and has the best strike rate in the game with anyone having over 200 wickets. Speaking about the victory, the pacer expressed that he holds massive pride in playing for the badge. He rates the second innings spells higher than the first ones because of the fatigue kicking in as the days progress.
The WTC Champions’ coach, Shukri Conrad, credited the bowling effort from his team for setting up the victory and also felt that 282 was well within their reach. When asked about the turning point of the game, Conrad did not mince his words.
“Obviously that bowling performance, because we could easily have fallen asleep in the field, and then they would have gotten away from us in a big way. As for KG [Kagiso Rabada] – that’s why he’s the superstar. He knew we had one chance at it”, said the Protea coach.
Lungi Ngidi turned up as a hero just when he was about to become a villain. South Africa’s first change pacer was thrown away for 45 runs in eight overs in the first innings. He lacked control and kept leaking runs that allowed the Australians to keep the scoreboard ticking at a brisk rate.
But, as Ngidi turned up in the second innings, the cricketing world took notice. He bowled 13 overs to give away just 38 runs and scuffle the middle-order of Pat Cummins and his men, picking three wickets.
Despite his poor performance in the first innings, Rabada refused to speak about where the Royal Challengers Bengaluru bowler needed to improve. When asked about what the 29-year-old did to feel better, Rabada had a cheeky reply up his sleeve.
“He had a milkshake, he had a steak, he watched a movie, and he came back”, the South African pacer spoke about Ngidi.
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Now here’s something interesting. The Gujarat Titans pacer previously mentioned that playing with this team feels like being with a bunch of mates. The make-up of this crop of players gives us a sneak peek into the statement. Rabada, Wiaan Mulder, and Ryan Rickelton went to the same school in Johannesburg. Kyle Verreynne and David Bedingham are from the same institution in Cape Town. Moreover, Rabada and skipper Temba Bavuma have been teammates since the former’s career began. And Rabada was in the same Under-19 side as Markram, which lifted the trophy in 2014.
“I’ll never forget this in my life. None of the boys will forget this in their lives. Playing against Australia, they’re a well-accustomed team, a bit of an ageing team, with all due respect. Some of those guys were playing when we were still in high school. So this is special, special, special. It hasn’t sunk in yet. I can’t really describe”, Rabada expressed.
The results they achieved on the field speak volumes about the efforts that the team has put in over the last couple of years. A country that struggled with the Apartheid system for a long period finally got the chance to reunite and celebrate the tremendous success of its cricket team. And once again, sport gives us an example of bringing people together.
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