Young Proteas Women's star Kayla Reyneke is set to play in her first T20 World Cup.
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With the focus on the Proteas Women’s team bringing all their old band members back for a reunion at next month’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that they are set to unleash one of the brightest young talents on the global stage.
Kayla Reyneke, 20, is the future of South African women’s cricket and destined to be the next captain of the Proteas side. She has the pedigree, having led the SA U19 team to a first-ever ICC Women’s U19 final in Malaysia, and has since exploded in her maiden international season.
But right now she can settle in behind the likes of skipper Laura Wolvaardt, Marizanne Kapp, Suné Luus and Dané van Niekerk, and play with all the freedom of her youth. It has certainly proved successful thus far, with Reyneke being the first women’s international cricketer to be named Player of the Match on both her T20I and ODI debuts.
A former javelin thrower like teammates Tazmin Brits and Nadine de Klerk, Reyneke possesses immense power, which she has illustrated by clearing the boundary almost at will during the death overs.
The all-rounder will also be called upon to deliver a couple of tidy overs of off-spin to complement the Proteas attack.
Coach Mandla Mashimbyi is certainly excited to see Reyneke perform at the T20 Women’s World Cup.
“I think she's definitely shown her talent with the opportunities that were given to her, and she's definitely somebody that's definitely going to go and rock the world,” Mashimbyi said.
“If the opportunity presents itself during the World Cup, I'm pretty confident that she will do well for us.”
The Proteas open their ICC T20 Women’s World Cup campaign against Australia in Manchester on Saturday, 13 June.