Kagiso Rabada optimistic about South Africa's chances in the Champions Trophy

A genuine quick who can regularly click 140-150kmph, Kagiso Rabada came to the forefront in the year 2014 with his exceptional spell of 6/25 in a U-19 World Cup semi-final match against Australia.He was literally all over the Australian batsmen with his nippy pace and swing and finished the tournament as the leading wicket-taker.

After his sensational performance in the Junior World Cup, the lanky fast bowler was awarded a contract by the Highveld Lions before being included in the national squads for both limited-overs and Test matches. He eventually made his T20I debut against Australia in November 2014. In early 2015, Rabada broke the record of Dale Steyn for the best match figures by a South African in first-class cricket with figures of 14/105.

The speedster was included the ODI squad for the tour of Bangladesh and the fast bowler finished with the best spell by a debutant in ODI cricket. His 6/16 also contained a hat-trick as the youngster made light work of the Bangladesh batsmen. Following his impressive showings in the international circuit, Rabada was bought at a whopping price by the Delhi Daredevils in the IPL Auction.

The fast bowler was purchased for Rs. 5 crores by the relative underachievers of the tournament but is yet to make his IPL debut. He conceded that when the bidding process was going on he had no idea what 5 crores amounted to. “I had no idea what `5 crore was,” he was quoted as saying by New Indian Express. “After that, I saw on Twitter I had gone for that amount. I guessed it to be in the region of $750,000 thanks to experiences of past players.”

The young pacer is looking forward to his stint with the Delhi Daredevils despite not getting a game yet. He will definitely make his debut as the tournament progresses but with so many combinations available for Zaheer Khan it will be a selection dilemma for the Delhi outfit especially after a resounding victory over the Rising Pune Supergiant.

South Africa have always faltered in ICC events but the experience of playing in England will surely keep the fast bowler in good stead.  “We obviously need to give our best to have a shot at winning it. If we lose, so be it, but we are not thinking about losing,” Rabada said.