Mihlali Mpongwana is a South African fast bowler who recently made his ODI debut for South Africa against New Zealand, find out more about him below along with his bio, age and height
Mpongwana made his debut during South Africa’s ongoing Tri-series match against New Zealand in Lahore on Monday, February 10.
Who is South African cricketer Mihlali Clint Mpongwana, bio, age, height, parents, school, bowling and batting stats
Mihlali Clint Mpongwana is a South African cricketer who was born on May 15, 2000, in Cape Town, South Africa. He is a dynamic fast-bowling all-rounder who is primarily known for his right-arm pace. Mpongwana made his List A debut for Western Province during the 2018-19 CSA Provincial One-Day Challenge. He currently plays for the Western Province cricket team and University Sport South Africa.
Mpongwana had earlier credited his mother, Phumza, and his late father for his career and said cricket often saved him from tricky confrontations.
D.O.B.: 15/05/2000
Player Type: Batting All-Rounder (Seam)
Placed: Heyside CC
Nationality: South African
Playing Role: Right-handed Middle Order Batter and Right-arm Fast
Coaching qualifications: Cricket South Africa Level 1 (ECB Level 2 Equivalent)
Recent teams: SA Academy, Western Province (RSA Provincial)
Tall, athletic and with an incredible work ethic that matches his talent, Mihlali is a genuine X-factor cricketer that offers that rare and talent of being a genuine seam-bowling all-rounder. A stroke-making right-hander, Mihlali can be spotted anywhere from 4-8 in the batting order with his clean-hitting combined with his well-drilled stroke-play allowing him to provide batting order flexibility but his Right-arm Fast seam bowling is probably his dominant skillset but there is significant upward curve to come in both disciplines.
Playing for his native Western Province Cobras, whom he first appeared for as a 15 year old at the CSA National U15 championships, Mihlali remained a constant through to the U19 CSA Khaya Majola Coke Week side in 2017-18 and he went on to study at the University of the Western Cape and debuted for Western Province as an 18 year-old against Kwa-Zulu Natal in January 2019.
Having gone on to become a 3-format regular for the Cobras, Mihlali continues to improve and has been working with Neil McKenzie throughout the 2022 winter as he heads towards becoming a genuine top order batsman in combination with his new ball bowling.
Seeking his first season in the UK in 2025, Mihlali could be one of the most astute signings of next summer with his all-round skills primed to light up the UK Club scene next summer.
Age and height
Moments you dream of 🤩, being on your debut representing your country 🇿🇦👏.
Congratulations to Eathan Bosch, Matthew Breetzke, Senuran Muthusamy and Mihlali Mpongwana 🏏.#WozaNawe #BePartOfIt #NZvSA pic.twitter.com/4etk9tw5cI
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) February 10, 2025
Mihlali Mpongwana is currently 24 years old and stands at a height of 1.86 meters, or 6’1”.
Career and stats
Mpongwana made his List A debut on January 20, 2019, for Western Province during the 2018-19 CSA Provincial One-Day Challenge. He then made his first-class debut that same year in the 2018-19 CSA 3-Day Provincial Cup on March. Over the years, he has demonstrated significant potential through his strong performances at the domestic cricket level.
Back in August 2024, Mpongwana captained the South Africa Emerging Players team during their tour to Zimbabwe. The team played against their Zimbabwe counterparts in three List A and two four-day games. Under his captaincy, South Africa won the first four-day match and drew the second, besides winning two of the three List A matches.
During the 2024 Provincial One-Day Tournament, Mihlali Mpongwana finished as the joint-third-highest wicket-taker. He eventually earned spot on the T20I squad for the home series against India in 2024. However, he did not play a single game across the five-match series.
A moment to remember and savour for Mihlali Mpongwana 👏🔥.#WozaNawe #BePartOfIt #NZVSA pic.twitter.com/9Oo3l8k7oh
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) February 10, 2025
Mihlali Mpongwana’s also took part in the CSA T20 Challenge, where he emerged as the competition’s joint-second-highest wicket-taker. He secured 12 scalps at an impressive average of 14.06. Despite all of his successes at different levels, Mihlali Mpongwana has not yet played in the SA20 League. The SA20 is South Africa’s premier T20 competition and features the country’s top players.