By Levy Masiteng
South African Test cricket captain Temba Bavuma has been named in TIME magazine’s 2026 list of the 100 most influential people in sport, joining global names including Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and LeBron James.
Bavuma and India’s Smriti Mandhana were the only cricketers included on the TIME100 Sports list, which recognises athletes, executives and other figures shaping global sport.
His inclusion follows a landmark period for South African cricket, capped by the Proteas’ victory over Australia in the World Test Championship final at Lord’s in June 2025 — South Africa’s first major International Cricket Council title since 1998.
Bavuma played a central role in the final, scoring 66 in the fourth-innings chase despite suffering a hamstring injury, as South Africa won by five wickets.
The achievement added to a career marked by several historic firsts. In 2016, Bavuma became the first black African South African cricketer to score a Test century. In 2021, he became the first black African player to hold the permanent captaincy of South Africa’s national cricket team when he was appointed limited-overs captain. He was later named Test captain.
South Africa’s resurgence continued later in 2025 when Bavuma led the Proteas to a 2-0 Test series victory in India, their first series win there in 25 years.
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