Kayla Reyneke emerges as South Africa's rising star in women's cricket 2026

At just 20, Reyneke has already shown remarkable composure under pressure with match-winning sixes in T20Is and ODIs.

Reyneke's early impact With only 11 senior internationals and 101 T20I deliveries faced at the age of 20, Reyneke stands out as one of South Africa's most promising young cricketers. Her ability to deliver when it matters most makes her a standout talent in women's cricket. In her first T20I, she faced a nail-biting scenario with scores tied and one ball remaining, opting to hit a six instead of playing it safe. 'I like to hit a ball far and whenever I have a session, I always ask the coach, can I do a bit of power hitting?' she explained during South Africa's pre-T20 World Cup preparations in Pretoria. 'It's about nurturing the skill, but also about seeing how I can do it under pressure and practicing it. So when the time comes, when the pressure's on, I know what I am going to do.' ## Another clutch moment Six weeks later, Reyneke replicated her training mindset in an ODI against New Zealand. Chasing 268, South Africa needed six runs off the last ball to secure vital Women's Championship points. Suzie Bates bowled quick and full, and Reyneke reacted instinctively. 'Just swing. I literally thought about just that,' she recalled. She cleared the front leg and dispatched the ball over long-on for a six, sealing a two-wicket victory. This was only the second six of the match, both hit by Reyneke, highlighting her exceptional power-hitting ability. In 2026, she ranks fourth in the world for most sixes in women's T20Is and is South Africa's third-highest six-hitter in the format's history. ## From school struggles to cricket passion Reyneke admits she never enjoyed school, particularly subjects like accounting, which she found difficult. 'I hated school,' she said. 'All those accounting books were things I really struggled with.' Her cricket journey began as the only girl playing in a boys' team at Laerskool Mikro in Kuils River, Western Cape, during the 2010s. 'It was very rare to get a girl in a boys team,' she noted. The situation improved when she reached Grade 11 at Belville High School, where more girls were playing cricket. She also experimented with other sports, including javelin throw, where she became the Under-15 national champion with a throw of 45.97 metres. At the time, she was also part of the Western Province Under-19 cricket setup. 'I needed to decide between cricket and javelin,' she said. 'With athletics in general, it's tough to make a living out of it. But when you look at cricket, there's so much more opportunities and still it's growing. It's so exciting. So I chose cricket.' ## Rise through the ranks Her decision to focus on cricket paid off quickly. As a teenager, she joined the provincial senior side and played for South Africa's Under-19 squad in the inaugural Under-19 World Cup in 2023. There, she was South Africa's leading wicket-taker and ninth overall in the tournament. Notably, she can also bowl offspin, with ambitions to become a genuine all-rounder. In 2025, she led South Africa's bowling attack at the Under-19 World Cup again, finishing as the third-highest wicket-taker overall and captaining the team. 'I was never really a leader,' she admitted. 'I only captained my last Under-19 national week at Western Province, but that was it. I actually don't know what coach Dinesha Devnarain saw in me, but there must have been something.' She embraced the leadership role, learning to take ownership and adapt her game approach. 'You learn how to take ownership obviously of yourself and your own space and other people as well. It was challenging in some ways when I needed to think about certain scenarios in the game but it showed me what I can work on in terms of how I approach and how I think about the game.' ## World Cup ambitions South Africa reached the 2023 Under-19 World Cup final, defeating Australia along the way in a match where Reyneke contributed significantly. She took 1 for 20 in four overs and scored a run-a-ball 26 in the chase. Though she remains competitive, her admiration for senior stars like Ashley Gardner and Suzie Bates is evident. 'I'd say Ashley Gardner,' she said when asked which international star she was looking forward to meeting. 'And Suzie Bates also. I just want to have a chat with her because I haven't had that opportunity.' Bates was the bowler she hit for a six to win her first ODI, and she is part of the defending champions that defeated South Africa in the last senior T20 World Cup final. Despite the rivalry, Reyneke remains laser-focused on South Africa's goal: winning a white-ball world title. 'That's the main thing we're speaking about even if we don't want to think too far ahead,' she said. 'The way the girls are training at the moment, it's insane. There's so much focus. Even when there's a water break, we chat cricket and then we are very focused and very specific. It just gives me goosebumps because I think we really have a good chance of making it to the end.' ## Javelin connections and future goals Reyneke shares a unique connection with teammates Tazmin Brits and Nadine de Klerk, who also competed in javelin throw. Both Brits and de Klerk have impressive throws, with de Klerk around 45 metres and Brits holding a best of 56.55 metres from her junior athletics career. Though they haven't discussed techniques, Reyneke suggested a friendly competition might be in order. 'We actually haven't talked about that. We had a brief conversation, but it wasn't about technique or anything like that,' she said. 'We might need to have a little competition amongst each other and see.' With her all-round skills and big-game temperament, Reyneke is seen as a key figure in South Africa's quest for a maiden white-ball world title.