When Kagiso Rabada became the fastest bowler to 100 Indian Premier League wickets, he cemented his place as one of the game’s modern-day greats.
Rabada needed only 64 games to break Sri Lankan and Mumbai Indians veteran Lasith Malinga’s previous record of 70 games.
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It’s a fantastic achievement by the 27-year-old, especially given that he frequently joins the IPL following a long international season in which he plays practically every game across formats for the Proteas.
Rabada missed the start of this season’s IPL because he stayed with the Proteas to finish the crucial ODI series against the Netherlands, which should ensure Rob Walter’s squad automatic qualifying for the World Cup in India later this year.
Unfortunately, he was ruled out of the final ODI at the Wanderers owing to a minor injury and thus missed the first two Punjab Kings games this season.
On Thursday evening, he returned to the Kings’ starting XI to replace Gujarat Titans hitter Wriddhiman Saha in order to accomplish the famous milestone.
Rabada first appeared in the IPL five years ago, when he was acquired by the Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals). In his first season, he only played six games and took six wickets.
Rabada missed the 2018 edition due to a lower-stress back ailment that kept him out for three months, but he made a dramatic comeback in 2019.
Despite the fact that former Proteas coach Ottis Gibson was caught in a scuffle with Cricket SA in an attempt to have Rabada back earlier from the IPL due to the approaching World Cup in the United Kingdom, the fast bowler was in excellent form for Delhi.
Before Gibson was able to bring his star fast bowler back from India, he had 25 wickets in 12 matches at an average of 14.72 and an economy rate of 7.82.
Rabada had his most successful season yet, despite no World Cups to focus on and the IPL shifting to the United Arab Emirates and being contested in September rather than the traditional April month because of the Covid-19 epidemic in 2020.
He thrived on UAE pitches, taking 30 wickets in 17 matches at an average of 18.26 and an economy of 8.34 to finish as the tournament’s top bowler in 2020.
He was three runs ahead of Jasprit Bumrah of the Mumbai Indians, and seven runs ahead of his Delhi and Proteas teammate Anrich Nortje (23).
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The pair combined for a powerful pace attack that propelled Delhi to the final at the Dubai International Stadium. Rabada’s final season in Delhi came in 2021 when he took 15 wickets at an average of 30.40 and an economy of 8.14.
Punjab Kings broke the bank at the 2022 auction to purchase Rabada for close to R18 million, posing a fresh challenge. He instantly rewarded the investment by taking 23 wickets in 13 matches at 17.65, finishing as the tournament’s leading fast bowler once more.
