Marco Jansen

Born on May 1, 2000, in Klerksdorp, North West, South Africa, Marco Jansen’s cricketing talent was identified early in his life. At the age of nine, he scored 164 not out in a 20-over match, which led his father to begin training him and his twin brother, Duan, also a professional cricketer. Jansen made his List A debut for North West in the 2017–18 CSA Provincial One-Day Challenge on April 8, 2018, followed by his first-class debut for North West in the 2018–19 CSA 3-Day Provincial Cup on October 11, 2018. He was the leading wicket-taker for North West in the 2018–19 CSA 3-Day Provincial Cup with 27 dismissals in six matches. His Twenty20 debut came for the Knights in the 2018–19 CSA T20 Challenge on April 28, 2019.

Jansen’s career progressed rapidly with notable achievements in domestic and international cricket. In January 2019, he was part of the South Africa national under-19 team tour to India. He was acquired by the Mumbai Indians in the IPL auction in February 2021, debuting against Royal Challengers Bangalore on April 9, 2021, where he secured two wickets for 28 runs, including Glenn Maxwell. His international debut occurred in December 2021, playing his first Test match for South Africa against India. He subsequently made his One Day International (ODI) debut in January 2022 and his Twenty20 International (T20I) debut in June 2022, both against India.

Jansen has also achieved significant milestones in various leagues. In February 2022, he was bought by the Sunrisers Hyderabad for the 2022 Indian Premier League tournament. In May 2023, he was selected by Washington Freedom for the Major League Cricket competition. During the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, he was part of the South African squad that finished as runners-up. In November 2024, he set a record for the fastest T20I half-century against India, scoring 50 runs off 16 deliveries. Later that month, in a Test match against Sri Lanka, he recorded his best bowling figures of 7/13, contributing to Sri Lanka’s lowest Test total of 42. This performance made him the first South African to take a 10-wicket haul at Kingsmead, Durban. In November 2025, he received the Player of the Match award for his all-round performance (93 runs, 6/48, and 1/23) in a Test victory against India, securing South Africa’s first Test series win in India in 25 years. For the 2025 IPL season, Jansen was purchased by the Punjab Kings for 7 Crore INR, further solidifying his position in professional cricket.