Media hypes certain players, says Kagiso Rabada on Jasprit Bumrah’s rise

Not very long ago, Kagiso Rabada was garnering attention from all over the world and rightly so because of his exploits. The former world number one Test bowler had the world at his feet thanks to his impressive displays, especially in Tests. At just 21 in 2016, he became the first cricketer to win six awards at Cricket South Africa‘s (CSA) annual award including the prize for Cricketer of the Year. Last year too, he won six awards at CSA’s annual dinner, including Cricketer of the Year, Test Cricketer and ODI Cricketer of the Year. He was also named the best young player in the world by Wisden last year.

But things have slightly changed now. Rabada is not garnering as much as attention as he used to because of the performance of two other pacers – Jasprit Bumrah and Jofra Archer. Rabada has also not done well with the ball this year. Earlier this year, he could not stop Sri Lanka from beating South Africa in the Test series in their own backyard. In the World Cup, South Africa crashed out at the group stage.

On the other hand, Bumrah helped India make it to the semifinal while Archer powered England to World Cup glory. The two recently impressed in Tests too. Bumrah picked up two five-wicket hauls including a hat-trick in West Indies while Archer also picked up a six-wicket haul against Australia in the ongoing Ashes. However, Rabada is unfazed by the hype surrounding the likes of Bumrah and Archer.

Ahead of the T20I series against India, Rabada said players like Bumrah and Archer provide healthy competition. At the same time, he also took a dig a media for creating hype around certain players.

“I admire those bowlers, they are good bowlers,” Rabada told iol.co.za. “However, the media hypes certain players, and that’s okay. I know I have been playing very well. Archer is such a natural talent; Bumrah is doing wonders, and that can force you to lift your game. You are not always at the top, that’s one thing I can tell you.”

Kagiso Rabada excited

The South Africa pace spearhead also said that he is excited on his return to India. Rabada last played in India during this year’s Indian Premier League when he helped Delhi Capitals make it to the playoffs. “Excited to be back in India and looking forward to playing cricket again,” Rabada wrote on Twitter ahead of the start of the series.

Excited to be back in India and looking forward to playing cricket again ????????????????

— Kagiso Rabada (@KagisoRabada25) September 7, 2019

India and South Africa will play three T20Is and as many Tests with the series starting later this month.