Lungi Ngidi

South African fast bowler Lungi Ngidi is prized by his country as one of their very best. In 2018, CSA named him as one of their five Cricketers of the Year. In 2020, he was named both their ODI and T20i Cricketer of the Year. Since making his Test debut in January 2018, he has appeared in over a dozen Test matches and is fast closing on his first 50 Test wickets, helped by three five-wicket innings. However, he has already broken the South African record for reaching 50 ODI wickets, doing so in just 26 matches. In domestic cricket, he currently plays for the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League, having previously played in for the Chennai Super Kings. In South Africa, he has also played for the Northerns and the Titans.

Ngidi was born in Durban in March 1996. He was raised in a working-class family in Kloof but won a scholarship to Hilton College School where he initially favoured playing rugby. However, he eventually switched to cricket and was coached by 1990s Zimbabwe legend Neil Johnson. He became an integral part of provincial youth cricket, playing at every level from U-13 onwards. In 2014, he was spotted by the Northerns. They helped him to develop his game whilst he studied at the University of Pretoria. In 2015, he was named the Africa T20 Cup Player of the Year and promoted to the Titan franchise team.

2017 saw Ngidi break through to the senior South African T20 side for the first time, winning the Man of the Match award on his debut. He has since become indispensable to them.