Spin was the big winner at the 2024/25 Cricket South Africa (CSA) Awards as left-arm tweakers Keshav Maharaj and Nonkululeko Mlaba walked away with the top honours at a glittering ceremony held at Emperors Palace in East Johannesburg.

Maharaj was named Men’s Player of the Year for the second time in his career, while Mlaba made history by becoming the first-ever Women’s Player of the Year, capping off a dominant season with four individual accolades.

Maharaj’s Midas Touch Across Formats

The seasoned Maharaj was a pillar of South Africa’s red-ball success, collecting 40 wickets in seven Tests between August 2024 and January 2025. His season featured standout performances like twin four-fors against West Indies and five-wicket hauls in Chattogram and Gqeberha. He also played a pivotal role at the 2024 T20 World Cup, finishing as South Africa’s third-highest wicket-taker in the tournament.

While the World Test Championship (WTC) final, which South Africa famously won, wasn’t considered in this judging cycle, Maharaj’s consistent excellence throughout the season ensured he remained at the forefront of South Africa’s cricketing elite.

Mlaba’s Year to Remember

For Nonkululeko Mlaba, 2024/25 was a breakthrough year. The 25-year-old spinner emerged as the most celebrated cricketer of the night, sweeping four awards:

• Women’s Player of the Year
  
• Women’s T20I Player of the Year
  
• Women’s Players’ Player of the Year
  
• Best Delivery Fuelled by KFC
  

Mlaba took 12 wickets at the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup – the second-most in the tournament – and delivered a record-breaking performance against England in December, becoming the only South African woman to take 10 wickets in a Test match. She now ranks as South Africa’s second-highest Test wicket-taker in the women’s game.

Bavuma, Rabada Among Other Big Winners

South Africa’s red-ball skipper Temba Bavuma claimed the Test Player of the Year award following two crucial centuries at home and leadership that guided South Africa to the WTC final. Bavuma also received the Fans’ Player of the Year award.

Pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada, despite his iconic nine-wicket haul at Lord’s being outside the judging window, earned recognition from his peers as the Men’s Players’ Player of the Year.

Klaasen, Nortje and Baartman Recognised in White-ball Formats

• Heinrich Klaasen, who topped the run charts during the Pakistan series, bagged the ODI Player of the Year, a fitting farewell after his retirement from international cricket.
  
• Anrich Nortje was named T20I Player of the Year, thanks to his standout showing at the T20 World Cup.
  
• Rising quickly, Ottneil Baartman won Men’s International Newcomer of the Year after impressing with his economy and control during the global T20 tournament.
  

Women’s Awards: Dercksen, Hlubi Take Centre Stage

• Annerie Dercksen, the ICC’s 2024 Newcomer of the Year, was named Women’s ODI Player of the Year. She was the leading run-scorer in the ODI tri-series against India and Sri Lanka and notched her maiden ODI hundred.
  
• Ayanda Hlubi was recognised as the Women’s International Newcomer of the Year after a promising debut season.
  
• All-rounder Nondumiso Shangase was voted Domestic Women’s Players’ Player of the Year.
  

Domestic and Franchise Honours

At the domestic level, Lhuan-dre Pretorius (Titans) won 4-Day Player of the Season, beating top-scorer Jordan Hermann thanks to three centuries in five matches and a match-saving ton in the final. He also bagged the SA20 Batter of the Season for Paarl Royals.

Other domestic winners included:

• Kwena Maphaka (Lions) – T20 Challenge Player of the Season
  
• Jon-Jon Smuts (Dolphins) – One-Day Cup Player of the Season
  
• Dewald Brevis – Domestic Men’s Players’ Player of the Year and SA20 Rising Star of the Season
  
• Marco Jansen – SA20 Bowler and Player of the Season
  

In Division 2:

• Christopher Britz – T20 Knockout Player of the Season
  
• Ernest Kemm – 4-Day Series Player of the Season
  
• Jerome Bossr – One-Day Cup Player of the Season
  

Coaching and Officiating Excellence

• Russell Domingo (Lions) claimed Division 1 Coach of the Year for the second year running.
  
• Ahmed Amla (Kwa-Zulu Natal Inland) was Division 2 Coach of the Year.
  
• In the women's game, Shaun Pretorius (Lions) earned the Hollywoodbets Pro Series Coach of the Year.
  

On-field officials were also acknowledged:

• Allahudien Palekar – CSA Umpire of the Year
  
• Abdoellah Steenkamp – Umpires’ Umpire of the Year
  

A Night to Celebrate South African Cricket

CSA CEO Pholetsi Moseki lauded the winners: “Last night we gathered to honour a truly remarkable season of cricket… We not only recognised individual brilliance, but also celebrated the profound depth of cricketing talent we continue to cultivate in South Africa.” As the Proteas gear up to host the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, the CSA Awards served as a fitting reminder of the country's ever-growing cricketing depth and the rising influence of spin across both the men’s and women’s games.

The 24-year-old South African left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba shined in their first game of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 against West Indies Women. 

After South Africa Women chose to bowl first at Dubai, West Indies Women managed to score 118/6. Nonkululeko Mlaba played a vital role in restricting the 2016 champions to less than 120 runs. 

SEE ALSO: Diana Baig's injury scare brings a big blow for Pakistan Women

Nonkululeko Mlaba took four wickets

The left-arm spinner Mlaba was the best bowler for South Africa, as she picked up four wickets. Mlaba started her first spell in the fifth over of the first innings, where she bowled the opener Qiana Joseph (4). 

Mlaba returned in the 12th over, where she picked up two wickets in back-to-back deliveries before conceding five wide runs on her hat-trick delivery. After she bowled Shemaine Campbelle (17), Mlaba also dismissed Chinelle Henry (0) on her next delivery. While her next over was wicketless with five runs, she ended with a wicket for ten runs in her last over.

Aaliyah Alleyne (7) was out during Mlaba’s final over. The South African spinner ended the innings with the bowling figures of 4-0-29-4. 

Mlaba became the third South African bowler to pick up four wickets in a Women’s T20 World Cup match. Previously, Sune Luus and Ayabonga Khaka achieved this feat for South Africa Women. 

Best bowling figures for South Africa in the Women's T20 World Cup

Second-best WT20 WC bowling figures against West Indies Women

Meanwhile, Mlaba’s bowling figures were the second-best bowling figures against West Indies Women in the Women’s T20 World Cup history. Pakistan Women’s Anam Amin holds the record with 4/16 during the 2016 edition. 

Four-wicket haul against West Indies in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup