The house captain Bavuma built

ALMOST exactly two years to the day at this very venue, the house that Temba Bavuma had built was on the verge of crumbling down. He had led the Proteas to the semifinal of the World Cup but his batting had been a nonstarter. Ahead of the last four clash against Australia, the criticism was biting and there were calls to drop himself. That he was battling a fitness issue also didn’t help.

- SWAROOP SWAMINATHAN

He kept faith in himself but was dismissed for a four-ball zero. Australia had prevailed by three wickets and the calls against Bavuma grew louder.

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In the second week of June 2025, Bavuma led the men’s team to one of their biggest ever wins. A win in the final of the World Test Championships over Australia. Chasing 282 on a deck with plenty for the pacers, the skipper’s measured 66, coupled with his leadership both on and off the field, helped a young side to fly in the stratosphere. Captaining a multicultural side like South Africa comes with its own challenges but this was the strongest win yet for them. As a tribute for their leader, a bunch of players and support staff, including the likes of Kagiso Rabada, Tristan Stubbs and Ashwell Prince, composed a song for their captain and sung it as part of their celebrations.

Based on Bella Ciao, an Italian antifascist song, it went