Birthday special: Marco Jansen – South African all-rounder who is destined for big things

Born in Klerksdorp in the North West Province of South Africa, Marco Jansen represented the Proteas U-19 Squad before getting his debut cap for the national side. He made his international debut in December 2021 when South Africa roped him into the Test squad to play against India after he showcased outstanding performance in first-class cricket and the A side of the team.

His height of 6′ 8″ distinguishes him as a pacer, but interestingly the 21-year-old had started his career with a focus on batting. Jansen was initially trained by his father Koos, before he was picked by South Africa to bowl against the Indian players in the nets during the latter’s tour.

On his debut, he was successful in scalping his maiden wicket in the form of Jasprit Bumrah and ended India’s run in the first innings. He then scalped four wickets in the second innings as he caught big fishes in the form of Mayank Agarwal, Virat Kohli, and Ajinkya Rahane.

His journey at the Indian Premier League started with the Mumbai Indians, when he was roped in by the five-time champions in the year 2021. He did not get many opportunities to play the games and thus moved to the Sunrisers Hyderabad this year.

His stint at IPL this season has been satisfactory so far. Though he conceded some additional runs in SRH’s game against Gujarat Titans, he played a pivotal role in the team’s victory against the Royal Challengers Bangalore, when he cleaned up the opposition’s top-order in a single over.

In six games played so far, he has as many wickets under his belt, with his best figures of 3/25 coming against RCB. He has progressed as a professional cricketer in a short period of time and has the ability to keep a consistent pace for a longer duration. These skills of his will surely take him a long way on the road of success.