Recently, against Australia, he took four wickets and became the youngest bowler from a full-member nation to claim a four-wicket haul.
Kwena Maphaka was bought by the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 auction for INR 1.50 crore. He played only two matches during the season, as RR had Jofra Archer and Fazalhaq Farooqi ahead of him in the pecking order. This meant limited game time for Maphaka, similar to the 2024 season when he was with Mumbai Indians and played only two matches before being released.
Despite being just 19 years old, Maphaka has shown plenty of promise in his short career. Recently, against Australia, he took four wickets and became the youngest bowler from a full-member nation to claim a T20I four-wicket haul. He has shown that he can perform on big occasions against strong teams.
So far, Maphaka has played nine T20Is and taken 10 wickets, and overall, in 38 T20 matches, he has claimed 44 wickets. If RR releases him before the IPL 2026 auction, there could be several teams interested in picking him.
Let’s take a look at three teams that might look to acquire Kwena Maphaka.
Last year, SRH finished seventh, and their pacers had a disappointing campaign as all their bowlers leaked plenty of runs. For their overseas pacer options, they only had Pat Cummins, as Brydon Carse had to miss the season due to injury.
Cummins lacked support from the other end, especially in the power play. SRH have plenty of options in batting when it comes to overseas players, but they lack overseas bowling options. Maphaka could be a player they might try, as he can bowl with the new ball and in the death overs, where SRH have conceded a lot of runs.
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Last season was challenging for LSG in the pace department, as most of their main pacers were injured. Some returned midway through the season, others started but got injured again, and a few missed the entire season. LSG also lacks depth in overseas pace options, with most of their overseas slots taken up by batters.
They missed having a genuine fast bowler who could consistently bowl above 140 km/h. Maphaka could fill that gap, as he can bowl at high pace and swing the ball. If the Lucknow pitches offer assistance to fast bowling, it could work to his advantage.
Last season did not go as KKR had hoped, as they finished eighth in the table. One of their weaker areas was fast bowling. With Mitchell Starc moving to Delhi Capitals, KKR lost one of their main bowlers from the 2024 title-winning campaign.
They had Spencer Johnson and Anrich Nortje, but Johnson did not perform well in the matches he played. Nortje missed games due to fitness and injury issues. Kwena Maphaka could be a strong option for them. With Dwayne Bravo as a mentor, he could get the guidance needed to flourish. So he could be a good option for KKR.
