OTD | South Africa’s star youngster Tristan Stubbs was born in 2000

One of the promising youngsters, who is considered the next big thing in South African cricket, Tristan Stubbs was born on 14 August 2000. Predominantly known for his scintillating ability to dispatch the ball, Stubbs is also a handy off-spin bowler and a gun fielder on the boundary line. His ability to contribute in all three departments makes him a valuable asset to any team that he plays.  

The Cape Town cricketer made his first-class debut in January 2020 for Eastern Province in the CSA 3-Day Provincial Cup. A month later, he made his List A debut in the CSA Provincial One-Day Challenge. However, it took another year for Stubbs to make his T20 debut for Warriors in the 2020–21 CSA T20 Challenge. 

The 24-year-old entered the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2022 after Mumbai Indians (MI) picked him as a replacement for England pacer Tymal Mills who was ruled out due to an injury. Although Stubbs did not get much opportunity with the five-time champions to showcase his prowess, his impressive stint in the domestic circuit propelled South Africa’s national team selectors to name him in the T20I squad. 

Stubbs has yet to establish himself in international cricket 

The right-hander thus made his international debut on 9 June 2022 in a series against India. He made his ODI debut in the second match of the series against West Indies in March 2023. In January 2024, Stubbs received his maiden call-up to the Test team against India. However, he had a forgettable outing as he became the first player in 127 years to be dismissed twice on the first day of his Test debut.

So far, the batting all-rounder has represented the Rainbow Nation in 26 T20Is, 2 Tests and 1 ODI, scoring an aggregate of 502 runs. While his numbers in international cricket do not do justice to his talent, his performance in the franchise league certainly does. He had a breakthrough season with Delhi Capitals (DC) in the IPL 2024. 

In 14 matches, the power-hitter has amassed 378 runs at a staggering strike rate of 190.01. He also chipped in with some wickets, helping the team finish sixth in the points table.  For his incredible campaign, Stubbs was rewarded with an invitation to South Africa’s squad for the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. 

Also read: Bruce French, one of the talented but accident-prone wicket-keeper was born in 1959