Kayla Reyneke relishing moment among Proteas Women stars

The former Under-19 captain was included in the team to play three T20 Internationals against Pakistan, with the first match taking place on Tuesday in Potchefstroom, and will be hoping to make an immediate impact with the World Cup coming up this June in England.

The 20-year-old recalled the exact moment she got the call from coach Mandla Mashimbyi himself.

"I was just waking up from an afternoon nap when coach Mandla called me. I'm very excited to get going and to play alongside my role models. Growing up, I've looked up to them, so it's just a massive honour and privilege to wear this badge."

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Reyneke spoke of how surreal it is for her to find herself within a galaxy of stars, most of whom she grew up watching on TV.

While she admitted to being a bit star-struck when she arrived in camp, she knows the importance of shaking that off and absorbing the experience from those players.

"It's still sinking in, especially as a youngster, this is something that I've dreamed about for a long time. Not a lot of people can say they are teammates with Laura Wolvaardt, Nadine de Klerk, Sune Luus, and Marianne Kapp. I'm just going to be a sponge and learn as much as possible from all of them."

Reyneke is not putting pressure on herself at the moment, and says her goal is to just have fun and learn as much as possible.

The 2025 U19 World Cup runner-up captain is the latest former youth international to make the step up to the senior team, following the likes of Karabo Meso, Seshnie Naidu, Miané Smit, and Ayanda Hlubi.