"Kwena was thrown in the deep end in the Mumbai Indians" - AB de Villiers on young quick's forgettable debut in IPL 2024

Former South African batter AB de Villiers suggested that young quick Kwena Maphaka wasn't quite ready for his IPL debut with the Mumbai Indians earlier this year. The former Proteas captain wants young cricketers to take time to assess their strengths and weaknesses before dealing with the immense pressure of franchise cricket.

The teenage South African bowler replaced Dilshan Madushanka in the MI squad, who was ruled out of IPL 2024 due to an injury. After finishing the U19 World Cup earlier this year as the leading wicket-taker, Maphaka came in with plenty of promise.

However, he had a disappointing debut in the cash-rich league, recording figures of 4-0-66-0 against Sunrisers Hyderabad. In his second and last game of IPL 2024, he recorded figures of 2-0-23-1 against Rajasthan Royals.

Speaking to Sportsboom, De Villiers said the real power of an athlete lies in understanding their game inside and out. He said:

"I sometimes want the guys to just go slower. I know Kwena was thrown in the deep end in the Mumbai Indians. I want them to learn their games and that's where the power lies in the guys' talents when you understand who you are and your strengths and weaknesses. For me, that happened in 2008. These guys are young, I just want them to play and get experience and not feel too much pressure and millions of dollars thrown at them."

Maphaka made his international debut in August 2024 against the West Indies. The left-arm pacer has played three T20Is for South Africa, managing one scalp at an economy of 8.94.

"It couldn't have come at a better time" - AB de Villiers on the IPL

AB de Villiers. (Image Credits: Getty)

The IPL was launched in 2008, which De Villiers stated was the perfect time for him as he was starting to "feel comfortable" at the highest level. The 40-year-old said:

"It happened in 2008 for me and it couldn't have come at a better time. That was exactly the year where I started to find my feet. After four years of international cricket, I finally felt in 2008 that I was starting to feel comfortable at the wicket. There's so much time, it doesn't all have to happen in one year."

The right-hander played for the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, with his last season coming in 2021.