…Researched and contributed by Solomon Thomas.
South African fast bowler, Kagiso Rabada, has made history by becoming the fastest bowler to reach 100 wickets in the Indian Premier League (IPL), a tournament that was first held in 2008.
Currently playing for the Punjab Kings, he achieved the feat in his 64th match, taking just 1438 balls, or just shy of 240 overs.
He has officially broken the record of Sri Lankan legend Lasith Malinga, who reached the milestone in 70 matches, 270 overs and 1622 balls.
Rabada, who made his IPL debut for the Delhi Daredevils in 2017, stayed with the team until the 2021 season, collecting 4.20 crore of Indian Rupees annually.
During the 2022 auction, he was bought by his current team, the Punjab Kings, for a whopping 9.25 crore.
He held this fee for the current 2023 season, which means that depending on when he cashes out his fee, he should collect just over R20 million.
In 2020, Rabada became the third South African to win the Purple Cap, the IPL prize for the most wickets taken in the tournament that year, with 30 wickets at a strike rate of 18.26.
Morne Morkel was the first South African to win the prize in 2012 for the Delhi Daredevils, while Imran Tahir took the honours in 2019 as part of the Chennai Super Kings.
While Rabada is the 21st bowler to reach 100 wickets in the tournament, he is the first South African to reach this milestone in the IPL, as Dale Steyn retired in 2020 after taking 97 wickets.
With 183 wickets, West Indian all-rounder Dwayne Bravo still tops the table for most IPL wickets.
With age and, thus far, health on his side, Rabada may just be setting his sights on surpassing Bravo’s record.
Rabada’s achievement is a testament to his skill and dedication to the game.
It also highlights the quality of South African cricketers, who continue to make their mark in the international cricket arena.
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