Temba Bavuma

International career

Temba Bavuma, born on May 17, 1990, is a South African cricketer and the captain of the national team in Test and ODI formats. He became the first black African player to score a Test century for South Africa and the first to lead the team in all formats. His career has been full of important moments, from his early days to captaining the national team.

Here is a summary of his international career:

2014-2016:

• 26 December 2014: Bavuma made his Test debut for South Africa against the West Indies.
• 5 January 2016: He became the first black African cricketer to score a Test century for South Africa with an unbeaten 102 against England in Cape Town.
• 25 September 2016: He made his ODI debut against Ireland, scoring 113 runs, one of three South African cricketers to score a century on their ODI debut.
• 7 November 2016: Took his first and only Test wicket against Australia.
• May 2017: Won Cricket South Africa's Award of Excellence.

2019:

• August 2019: Bavuma was named in South Africa’s T20I squad for their series against India.
• 18 September 2019: He played his first T20I match against India.

2021:

• 4 March 2021: Bavuma became the permanent captain of South Africa's limited-overs team. He made history as the first black African player to captain the team.
• July 2021: He scored his first T20I half-century (72 runs off 51 balls) against Ireland.
• September 2021: During the ODI series against Sri Lanka, Bavuma injured his thumb but recovered in time to lead South Africa in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

2021-2022:

• 2021 T20 World Cup: Bavuma scored 91 runs in 4 games. Despite South Africa winning 4 matches in a row, they were eliminated in the group stage.
• 2021 Test Series vs India: Bavuma scored 221 runs in 3 Tests, helping South Africa win the series 3-1.
• 2021 ODI Series vs India: He scored 153 runs, with a high score of 110.
• June 2022: Bavuma hurt his elbow during South Africa’s T20I series in India, causing him to miss their tour of England.

2022:

• 2022 T20 World Cup: Bavuma led South Africa despite a tough period of poor form. Some experts argued that his leadership should not be judged solely by his batting performance.
• December 2022: Even with injuries, Bavuma continued to lead the team in various matches.

2023:

• 18 March 2023: Bavuma scored his career-best 144 runs off 118 balls against the West Indies in an ODI, crossing the 1,000-run mark in ODIs.
• Continued Leadership: He remained the leader for South Africa, helping the team in key series and tournaments.

2024:

• 2024: Bavuma returned to captain South Africa in a two-match Test series against the West Indies.
• 22 December 2024: He played an ODI match against Pakistan, scoring 8 runs.
• 26 December 2024: In a Test match against Pakistan, Bavuma scored 31 and 40 runs.
• As of October 2024: Bavuma has played 59 Test matches, scoring 3,102 runs in his career.

Bavuma’s career is full of remarkable achievements and challenges, solidifying his place as one of South Africa’s most respected cricket captains.

Leagues Participation

Temba Bavuma has played in a few major cricket leagues during his career. Here’s a summary of his involvement in them:

Indian Premier League (IPL)

Bavuma has shown interest in playing in the IPL, especially in the 2022 season. He hoped to represent a team and maybe even lead one. However, he has not participated in any IPL seasons so far. The main reason for his absence is the high level of competition for spots in IPL teams, combined with his commitment to leading South Africa’s limited-overs cricket team.

Mzansi Super League (MSL)

Bavuma played in the Mzansi Super League, a domestic T20 competition in South Africa:

• 2018: He was part of the Durban Heat squad for the first season of the tournament.
• 2019: Bavuma joined the Jozi Stars squad for the second season of the Mzansi Super League.

SA20

Bavuma joined the Sunrisers Eastern Cape for the SA20 tournament:

Year	League	Team	Key Details
2018	Mzansi Super League	Durban Heat	First season participation
2019	Mzansi Super League	Jozi Stars	Played in the second season
2023	SA20	Sunrisers Eastern Cape	Played five matches, scored 85 runs
2024	SA20	Sunrisers Eastern Cape	Scored 33 runs in a win against Paarl
2025	SA20	Sunrisers Eastern Cape	Not retained for the third season

Bavuma has played in these leagues but mainly focuses on his international career with South Africa

Domestic career

Temba Bavuma started his domestic career in 2008 with Gauteng, playing against Eastern Province. He batted in the middle order and scored four runs in his first innings. In the 2010/11 season, he joined the Lions and had a great start in the Supersport Series, scoring 242 runs in four matches with an average of 60.50. He also scored 124 against the Knights, earning a man of the match award.

In the 2011/12 season, Bavuma scored 637 runs at an average of 53.08, finishing among the top run-scorers. The next season, his average dropped to 31.58, but he still finished fifth in the Sunfoil Series. He bounced back in the 2013/14 season with 714 runs at an average of 39.66, ranking sixth. Throughout his career, Bavuma has had a good conversion rate of fifties to hundreds, with six centuries and five fifties in Supersport and Sunfoil series cricket.

These strong performances earned him five appearances for South Africa A. He played against Sri Lanka A in 2012, but didn't make a significant impact in his first two matches. However, he scored 65 in a match against India A in 2013. Bavuma was part of the Gauteng squad in the 2015 Africa T20 Cup.

In 2017, Bavuma joined the Cape Cobras for the 2017–18 season. The following year, he was made the captain of the Highveld Lions in all formats. He was also named in Gauteng’s squad for the 2018 Africa T20 Cup. In 2021, Bavuma returned to Gauteng’s squad for the 2021–22 season.

In 2022, Bavuma was not selected in the SA20 auction, but after performing well in the ODI series against England, he was signed by Sunrisers Eastern Cape in 2023 to replace Tom Abell during the tournament.

Records and achievements

Temba Bavuma has set several important records in his cricket career.

• Highest Test Score: 172 runs against the West Indies on March 8, 2023.
• Highest ODI Score: 144 runs against Ireland on September 25, 2016.
• First Black African Cricketer to Score a Century in Test Matches: Achieved on January 5, 2016.
• One of Three South African Cricketers to Score a Century on ODI Debut: Scored on September 25, 2016, against Ireland.
• First Black African Captain of the South African National Team: Named captain in 2017.
• First Captain to Score Four Centuries Over 50 in a Two-Match Test Series: Recorded in December 2024 during the series against Sri Lanka in Gqeberha.

In May 2017, Temba Bavuma won the Excellence Award at the Cricket South Africa Awards.

Personal life

Temba Bavuma lives a balanced life, combining his cricket career with his family and personal interests.

Family

Temba was born on May 17, 1990, in Johannesburg. He grew up in a family that encouraged his love for cricket. His father played an important role in supporting his passion for the game. Temba is married and has children, though he keeps this part of his life private.

Finances

Temba Bavuma’s estimated net worth is around $5 million (INR 40 crore). His income comes from his salary as a cricketer, match fees, and endorsements with companies like New Balance.

Cars and House

Temba owns several cars, including a Ford Mustang GT, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Audi Q3, BMW X2, Audi TT Sport, and BMW 7 Series. In 2022, he owned a house in Lapda, South Africa. Details about the house are not publicly available.

Scandals

In 2023, rumors spread that Temba fell asleep during a captains’ meeting before the ODI Cricket World Cup. Fans ridiculed him over the claims. Temba denied the accusations, saying the camera angle made it look like he was asleep.

Fans

Temba lives a quiet life in Johannesburg, away from the media. He has around 180,000 followers on social media. His humble personality continues to win him support from fans.