With a thunderous five-wicket haul, Kagiso Rabada stamped his class on the biggest stage—rocking Australia and leapfrogging legends in the record books. His searing spell lit up the opening day of the WTC final at Lord’s.
Rabada’s fiery 5/51 in 15.4 overs helped skittle Australia out for just 212 and gave South Africa early control in their quest for a maiden WTC title. It was a spell of pace, precision, and purpose—one that turned the tide in South Africa’s favour at a crucial juncture.
With this performance, the 30-year-old surpassed the legendary Allan Donald to become South Africa’s fourth-highest wicket-taker in Test history. Rabada now has 332 wickets in 71 matches, edging past Donald’s 330 from 72 Tests.
He also became just the second bowler ever to claim a five-wicket haul in a WTC final, following New Zealand’s Kyle Jamieson in 2021. And among South Africans, only Jacques Kallis had previously taken a five-for in the final of a major ICC event—5/30 in the 1998 ICC Knockout Trophy final. Rabada has now joined that exclusive club.
The pacer’s record in ICC knockout games is becoming increasingly elite. He has 11 wickets in five such matches at an average of 19.27. His five-for at Lord’s is his best performance in an ICC knockout, putting him joint-third on South Africa’s all-time list—tied with legends Shaun Pollock and Allan Donald, and behind only Jacques Kallis (14).
Lord’s has become Rabada’s fortress. In just three Tests at the historic ground, he has taken 18 wickets at a staggering average of 16.83 and a strike rate of 30.2. He also overtook Morne Morkel’s tally (15 wickets) to become South Africa’s highest Test wicket-taker at the venue. He now joins the elite company of Donald and Makhaya Ntini as one of only three South Africans with multiple five-wicket hauls at Lord’s.
From surpassing legends to owning iconic venues, Rabada's Day 1 masterclass was more than just a spell—it was a statement.
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