Temba Bavuma named in TIME magazine's '100 Most Influential People in Sports'

Bavuma led the Proteas to the World Test Championship (WTC) trophy in June 2025 and a historic series victory in India, a drought that spanned 25 years in the longest format.

Charlie Campbell, an editor at TIME magazine, wrote of Bavuma: "Temba Bavuma has always carried more than the weight of his shirt. As one of just a handful of Black South African cricketers, his successes were lauded as a turning point for the sport. But any setbacks were never merely his own.

"Fortunately, Bavuma has enjoyed many more successes than setbacks. In 2016, he became the first Black South African to hit a century (scoring 100 or more runs in an inning), and five years later he was his nation's first Black captain.

"Last year, Bavuma led South Africa to a historic Test series win in India as well as victory in the World Test Championship (WTC), besting a heavily favored Australia in the final and emerging from the tournament undefeated.

"It was South Africa's first international title since 1998 and owed much to Bavuma's heroic 66 runs in the final despite his being hobbled by a hamstring strain.

'It was that moment there to be recognized as more than just a Black African cricketer,' Bavuma told journalists following the WTC. 'And I hope that it continues to inspire our country.'"

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