Kagiso Rabada Named Wisden’s Golden Boy of 2018, India’s Kuldeep Yadav and Rishabh Pant Also in the Best Young Players List

South Africa’s fast-bowler Kagiso Rabada has been named Wisden’s Golden Boy of 2018. The title is given to leading Under 23 male cricketer in the world. Rabada has fast earned a reputation at international level and is South Africa’s one of the leading pacers. Since his debut in 2015, Rabada has taken 151 wickets in 32 Tests and he recently surpassed out of favour Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh as the youngest to 150 Test scalps.

“We all knew in South Africa that Kagiso Rabada was destined for big things. I knew it was going to come, but I didn’t know it was going to come this quickly,” Allan Donald, the former South African quick, told Wisden Cricket Monthly. Sports Round-Up August 5 to 12: EPL Match Results, India Test Defeat & Rafael Nadal’s Rogers Cup Title Win Dominate the Week.

“When Dale Steyn first broke through his consistency and the rate he was taking wickets at was quite frightening and the same is now happening with Kagiso. He’s just incredible, a machine really, and fantastic to watch.

“Kagiso is well on his way to becoming South Africa’s all-time greatest fast bowler. Going at the rate he is it’s a case of when rather than if he becomes our country’s leading Test wicket-taker and it will be a proud moment for me seeing this young man do that, a magnificent achievement for him and an inspiration for all young black cricketers in South Africa,” Donald added.

Not just Rabada, Aiden Markram at three and Lungi Ngidi at nine are the other South African cricketers to feature in the top ten. Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan is at two followed by Babar Azam, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Kusal Mendis and Matt Renshaw. Pakistan’s young all-rounder Shadab Khan is at ten.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 13, 2018 04:58 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).