Father: Maboe Maphaka, Mother: Raesibe Maphaka, Brother: Tetelo Maphaka
Kwena Maphaka is a precocious left-arm fast bowler from South Africa who has taken the cricket world by storm with his raw pace and devastating performances at the youth level. The 20-year-old from Johannesburg announced himself on the global stage at the 2024 Under-19 World Cup, where he was named Player of the Tournament after claiming 21 wickets at an astonishing average of 9.71 and an economy rate of just 3.81. His exceptional performances earned him an IPL contract with Mumbai Indians as an injury replacement before he had even made his international debut for South Africa. Maphaka has since gone on to represent South Africa across all three formats and has become a sought-after T20 commodity, representing Paarl Royals in the SA20 and joining Rajasthan Royals in the IPL. With his left-arm angle, genuine pace, and ability to swing the ball, Maphaka is widely regarded as one of the most exciting young fast bowlers in world cricket.
| Bowling | |||||||||||||
| Format | Mat | Inns | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w | 10w |
| Tests | 2 | 4 | 260 | 170 | 3 | 2/43 | 3/90 | 56.66 | 3.92 | 86.6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ODIs | 3 | 3 | 131 | 195 | 5 | 4/72 | 4/72 | 39.00 | 8.93 | 26.2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| T20Is | 18 | 17 | 352 | 546 | 18 | 4/20 | 4/20 | 30.33 | 9.30 | 19.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| FC | 6 | 12 | 720 | 500 | 21 | 3/24 | 6/78 | 23.80 | 4.16 | 34.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| List A | 5 | 5 | 251 | 320 | 8 | 4/72 | 4/72 | 40.00 | 7.64 | 31.3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| T20s | 55 | 52 | 1077 | 1571 | 56 | 4/18 | 4/18 | 28.05 | 8.75 | 19.2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Batting & Fielding | |||||||||||||
| Format | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s | Ct |
| Tests | 2 | 3 | 1 | 17 | 9* | 8.50 | 28 | 60.71 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| ODIs | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.33 | 8 | 12.50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| T20Is | 18 | 6 | 4 | 19 | 12* | 9.50 | 24 | 79.16 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 |
| FC | 6 | 8 | 3 | 26 | 9* | 5.20 | 83 | 31.32 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| List A | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.33 | 8 | 12.50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| T20s | 55 | 15 | 12 | 55 | 22* | 18.33 | 68 | 80.88 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 16 |
He is a left-arm fast bowler known for his raw pace and ability to generate swing, making him a potent threat with the new ball.
He has represented two IPL franchises: Mumbai Indians (MI), who signed him as an injury replacement in 2024, and Rajasthan Royals (RR), who purchased him for INR 1.5 crore in the 2025 mega auction.
In the 2024 Under-19 World Cup, he was named Player of the Tournament after taking 21 wickets at an average of just 9.71 and an economy rate of 3.81, showcasing his dominance at the youth level.
He made his debut for South Africa across all three formats following his impressive performances, including in the SA20 and the IPL.
He has represented the Paarl Royals in the SA20, playing alongside other top-tier talent in South Africa's premier T20 competition.
He was born on April 8, 2006, in Johannesburg, making him 20 years old.
His combination of left-arm angle, genuine pace, and swing makes him a challenging proposition for batters, particularly with the new ball.
He played for Mumbai Indians in 2024 as an injury replacement for Dilshan Madushanka, bowling six overs across two matches and picking up one wicket.
