{{short description|South African cricketer}} {{redirect|Khaka|the ethnic group in Kashmir|Khakha}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}} {{Use South African English|date=July 2017}} {{Infobox cricketer | name = Ayabonga Khaka | female = true | image = 2020 ICC W T20 WC E v SA 02-23 Khaka (03).jpg | caption = Khaka at the [[2020 ICC Women's T20 World Cup|2020 T20 World Cup]] | country = South Africa | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1992|7|18|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[Middledrift, Eastern Cape|Middledrift]], [[Eastern Cape]], South Africa | death_date = | death_place = | batting = Right-handed | bowling = Right-arm [[Fast bowling|medium]] | role = [[Bowling (cricket)|Bowler]]
| international = true | internationalspan = 2012–present
| onetest = | testdebutdate = | testdebutyear = | testdebutagainst = | testcap = | lasttestdate = | lasttestyear = | lasttestagainst =
| odidebutdate = 6 September | odidebutyear = 2012 | odidebutagainst = Bangladesh | odicap = 62 | odishirt = 99 | lastodidate = 2 November | lastodiyear = 2025 | lastodiagainst = India
| T20Idebutdate = 11 September | T20Idebutyear = 2012 | T20Idebutagainst = Bangladesh | T20Icap = 29 | lastT20Idate = 20 October | lastT20Iyear = 2024 | lastT20Iagainst = New Zealand | T20Ishirt = 99
| club1 = [[Border women's cricket team|Border]] | year1 = {{nowrap|2007/08–2016/17}} | club2 = [[Central Gauteng women's cricket team|Central Gauteng]] | year2 = 2017/18–present | club3 = [[IPL Supernovas|Supernovas]] | year3 = 2020/21 | club4 = [[IPL Velocity|Velocity]] | year4 = 2022 | club5 = [[Guyana Amazon Warriors (WCPL)|Guyana Amazon Warriors]] | year5 = 2022
| columns = 2
| column1 = [[Women's One Day International|WODI]] | matches1 = 103 | runs1 = 125 | bat avg1 = 4.80 | 100s/50s1 = 0/0 | top score1 = 15 | deliveries1 = 4,861 | wickets1 = 131 | bowl avg1 = 25.81 | fivefor1 = 1 | tenfor1 = 0 | best bowling1 = 5/26 | catches/stumpings1 = 30/–
| column2 = [[Women's Twenty20 International|WT20I]] | matches2 = 68 | runs2 = 36 | bat avg2 = 12.00 | 100s/50s2 = 0/0 | top score2 = 8[[Not out|*]] | deliveries2 = 1,373 | wickets2 = 54 | bowl avg2 = 28.29 | fivefor2 = 0 | tenfor2 = 0 | best bowling2 = 4/23 | catches/stumpings2 = 11/–
| date = 21 October 2024 | source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/southafrica/content/player/387261.html ESPNcricinfo | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Women's [[cricket]]}} {{MedalCountry|{{RSA}}}} {{MedalCompetition|[[Women's Cricket World Cup|ICC Cricket World Cup]]}} {{Medal|RU|[[2025 Women's Cricket World Cup|2025 India]]|}} {{MedalCompetition|[[ICC Women's World Twenty20|ICC T20 World Cup]]}} {{Medal|RU|[[2023 ICC Women's T20 World Cup|2023 South Africa]]|}} {{Medal|RU|[[2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup|2024 UAE]]|}} }}
'''Ayabonga Khaka''' (born 18 July 1992) is a South African [[cricket]]er who plays for the [[South Africa women's national cricket team|national cricket team]] as a right-arm [[Fast bowling|medium]] [[Bowling (cricket)|bowler]].<ref name="Cricinfo">{{Cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/southafrica/content/player/387261.html |title=Ayabonga Khaka |access-date=12 April 2014 |work=ESPNcricinfo }}</ref><ref name="contract">{{Cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/southafrica/content/story/1140181.html |title=Ntozakhe added to CSA {{as written|wom|ens' [sic]}} contracts |access-date=13 March 2018 |work=ESPNcricinfo}}</ref>
==Early life and education== Khaka was born and raised in [[Middledrift, Eastern Cape|Middledrift]] (also Middeldrift or Ixesi), near [[Alice, Eastern Cape|Alice]] in [[Eastern Cape]].<ref name="en 2020-03-13">{{cite news |last1=Felem |first1=Ayanda Frances |title=Ayabonga Khaka: Representing my country a dream come true |url=https://ewn.co.za/2020/03/13/ayabonga-khaka-represing-my-country-a-dream-come-true |access-date=14 March 2022 |work=Eyewitness News (South Africa) |date=13 March 2020 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="g 2020-06-04">{{cite web |last1=Abrahams |first1=Celine |title=Ayabonga Khaka Living Her Cricket Dream |url=https://gsport.co.za/ayabonga-khaka-living-her-cricket-dream/ |website=gsport |access-date=14 March 2022 |language=en-ZA |date=4 June 2020}}</ref> Her first experience of cricket was playing it in the streets of her home town.<ref name="g 2020-06-04"/> She started playing the game formally while in grade 1 at Ingwenya Primary School. That year, at the age of seven, she became the only girl in the boys mini cricket team.<ref name="tdv 2018-03-29">{{cite news |last1=Moosa |first1=Fatima |title=Protea Bowler Ayabonga Khaka On Her Cricket Journey |url=https://www.thedailyvox.co.za/protea-bowler-ayabonga-khaka-on-her-cricket-journey-fatima-moosa/ |access-date=14 March 2022 |work=The Daily Vox |date=29 March 2018}}</ref><ref name="tl 2020-03-08">{{cite news |last1=Tshwaku |first1=Khanyiso |title=Proteas Women's Ayabonga Khaka shows her fighting spirit |url=https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/sport/2020-03-08-proteas-womens-ayabonga-khaka-shows-her-fighting-spirit/ |access-date=14 March 2022 |work=[[TimesLIVE]] |date=8 March 2020}}</ref><ref name="d 2018-12-07">{{cite news |author1=DRUM Digital |title=Meet the Proteas women's squad |url=https://www.news24.com/drum/PartnerContent/meet-the-proteas-womens-squad-20181127-4 |access-date=14 March 2022 |work=[[Drum (South African magazine)|Drum]] |date=7 December 2018}}</ref>
Right from the beginning, Khaka preferred bowling to batting, as she was less likely to be hit by the ball, and it was challenging, especially against boys. She took particular pleasure in getting boys out. Another reason she liked cricket is that it involved a lot of discipline.<ref name="tdv 2018-03-29"/>
Khaka continued playing mini cricket until she was 14, because no other choices were available to her, and she did not know about women's cricket. Then she started at Ntabenkonyana Senior Secondary School, where not much cricket was played. She therefore quit playing cricket, and took up soccer. The following year, when she was in grade 9, she resumed playing cricket, this time for Middledrift Women's Cricket Club.<ref name="tdv 2018-03-29"/><ref name="tl 2020-03-08"/><ref name="g 2020-06-04"/>
Eventually, Khaka had to choose between cricket and football. She opted for cricket because she enjoyed it more.<ref name="tdv 2018-03-29"/> While playing at Middledrift Women's Cricket Club, she was selected for the Border Under 19 girls' team, and also played simultaneously for [[Border women's cricket team|the senior provincial team]]. In 2009, she was selected for the national Under 19 team.<ref name="g 2020-06-04"/>
Khaka spent much of her early career working with former [[South Africa national cricket team|men's national team]] fast bowler [[Mfuneko Ngam]] at the cricket academy of the [[University of Fort Hare]] in Alice.<ref name="tc 2022-03-21">{{cite web |last1=Upendran |first1=Ananya |title=Ayabonga Khaka is South Africa's underrated seam dynamo |url=https://www.thecricketer.com/Topics/premium/ayabonga_khaka_is_south_africas_underrated_seam_dynamo.html |website=[[The Cricketer]] |access-date=26 May 2022 |language=en |date=21 March 2022}}</ref> {{As of|2020}}, she was studying Human Movement Sciences at the university.<ref name="en 2020-03-13"/>
==Career== Khaka made her debut for the national team in September 2012 against Bangladesh.<ref name="Cricinfo"/> In May 2018, she took her 50th wicket in [[Women's One Day International]]s (WODIs), during the series [[Bangladesh women's cricket team in South Africa in 2018|against Bangladesh]].<ref name="Khaka50">{{cite web|url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/682386 |title=Ayabonga Khaka brings up 50 with career-best figures |work=International Cricket Council |access-date=7 May 2018}}</ref>
In September 2019, she was named in the [[Thistles (women's cricket)|F van der Merwe XI]] squad for the inaugural edition of the [[Women's T20 Super League]] in South Africa.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/27549831/cricket-south-africa-launches-four-team-women-t20-league |title=Cricket South Africa launches four-team women's T20 league |work=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=8 September 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricket.co.za/news/31581/CSA-launches-inaugural-Womens-T20-Super-League |title=CSA launches inaugural Women's T20 Super League |work=Cricket South Africa |access-date=8 September 2019}}</ref> In January 2020, she was named in South Africa's squad for the [[2020 ICC Women's T20 World Cup]] in Australia.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/1570764 |title=South Africa news Dane van Niekerk to lead experienced South Africa squad in T20 World Cup |work=International Cricket Council |access-date=13 January 2020}}</ref> On 23 July 2020, Khaka was named in South Africa's 24-woman squad to begin training in [[Pretoria]], ahead of their [[South Africa women's cricket team in England in 2020|tour to England]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/29522505/csa-resume-training-camps-women-team |title=CSA to resume training camps for women's team |work=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=23 July 2020}}</ref>
In January 2022, in the second match [[West Indies women's cricket team in South Africa in 2021–22|against the West Indies]], Khaka took her first [[List of five-wicket hauls in women's One Day International cricket|five-wicket haul in WODIs]], with 5 for 26.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/2468234 |title=Dottin powers West Indies to dramatic Super Over win in Johannesburg |work=International Cricket Council |access-date=31 January 2022}}</ref> In February 2022, she was named in South Africa's team for the [[2022 Women's Cricket World Cup]] in New Zealand.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/womens-world-cup-2022-lizelle-lee-returns-as-south-africa-announce-experience-laden-squad-1299857 |title=Lizelle Lee returns as South Africa announce experience-laden squad for Women's World Cup |work=Cricket South Africa |access-date=4 February 2022}}</ref> In South Africa's first match of the tournament, against Bangladesh, Khaka took her 100th wicket in WODI cricket.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.womenscriczone.com/ayabonga-khaka-bowls-south-africa-to-hard-fought-win-over-bangladesh |title=Ayabonga Khaka bowls South Africa to hard-fought win over Bangladesh |work=Women's CricZone |access-date=5 March 2022}}</ref>
In May 2022, Khaka played for the Spirit team in the privately run [[2022 FairBreak Invitational T20]] in [[Dubai]], United Arab Emirates. On 8 May 2022, she bagged the tournament's first [[five-wicket haul]], by taking 5/9 against the Sapphires. She was also awarded [[player of the match]].<ref name="g 2022-05-09">{{cite web |author=gsport Newsroom |title=History Maker Ayabonga Khaka Destined for Bigger Leagues |url=https://gsport.co.za/history-maker-ayabonga-khaka-destined-for-bigger-leagues/ |website=gsport |access-date=10 May 2022 |language=en-ZA |date=9 May 2022}}</ref><ref name="csa 2022-05-16">{{cite web |title=CSA congratulates Luus and Khaka after FairBreak Invitational success |url=https://cricket.co.za/2022/05/16/csa-congratulates-luus-and-khaka-after-fairbreak-invitational-success/ |website=[[Cricket South Africa]] |access-date=27 May 2022 |date=16 May 2022}}</ref> At the end of the Invitational, she was included in the Team of the Tournament, after taking a total of nine wickets.<ref name="csa 2022-05-16"/>
In June 2022, Khaka was named in South Africa's [[Women's Test cricket|Women's Test]] squad for their one-off match [[South Africa women's cricket team in England in 2022|against England Women]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.womenscriczone.com/south-africa-announce-15-member-squad-for-the-tour-of-england |title=Kapp, Lee and Jafta mark their return as South Africa announce squad for one-off Test and ODIs against England |work=Women's CricZone |access-date=17 June 2022 |archive-date=16 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221116083818/https://www.womenscriczone.com/south-africa-announce-15-member-squad-for-the-tour-of-england |url-status=dead }}</ref> In July 2022, she was named in South Africa's team for the [[Cricket at the 2022 Commonwealth Games|cricket tournament]] at the [[2022 Commonwealth Games]] in [[Birmingham]], England.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/cwg-2022-birmingham-no-dane-van-niekerk-for-commonwealth-games-too-luus-to-continue-as-south-africa-captain-1324867 |title=No Dane van Niekerk for Commonwealth Games too, Luus to continue as South Africa captain |work=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=15 July 2022}}</ref> In August 2022, she was signed as an overseas player for [[Guyana Amazon Warriors (WCPL)|Guyana Amazon Warriors]] for the inaugural edition of the [[2022 Women's Caribbean Premier League|Women's Caribbean Premier League]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/chamari-athapaththu-ayabonga-khaka-and-sune-luus-brought-in-for-womens-cpl-and-6ixty-1329403 |title=Athapaththu, Khaka and Luus brought in for Women's CPL and 6ixty |work=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=16 August 2022}}</ref>
She was named in the South Africa squad for the [[2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricket.co.za/csa-names-proteas-women-squad-for-pakistan-series-and-t20-world-cup-in-uae/ |title=CSA Names Proteas Women Squad For Pakistan Series And T20 World Cup In UAE |work=Cricket South Africa |access-date=3 October 2024}}</ref> and for the ODI part of their multi-format [[England women's cricket team in South Africa in 2024–25|home series against England]] in November 2024.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricket.co.za/csa-names-proteas-women-squads-to-face-england-in-t20i-and-odi-series/|title=CSA Names Proteas Women Squads To Face England In T20I And ODI Series|publisher=Cricket South Africa|accessdate=12 November 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/articles/cdd0rm91rnyo|title=South Africa rest Kapp for T20 series with England|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=12 November 2024}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{commons category-inline}} * {{cricinfo|id=387261}} * {{cricketarchive|id=415929}}
{{Navboxes | title = South Africa squads | titlestyle = background: #007749; color: #FFB81C; border: 1px solid #FFB81C; | list = {{South Africa Squad 2012 ICC Women's World Twenty20}} {{South Africa Squad 2016 ICC Women's World Twenty20}} {{South Africa Squad 2017 Women's Cricket World Cup}} {{South Africa Squad 2020 ICC Women's T20 World Cup}} {{South Africa Squad 2022 Women's Cricket World Cup}} {{South Africa Squad 2023 ICC Women's T20 World Cup}} {{South Africa Squad 2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup}} {{South Africa Squad 2025 Women's Cricket World Cup}} }} {{100 WODI wickets}} {{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Khaka, Ayabonga}} [[Category:1992 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:People from Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality]] [[Category:South African women cricketers]] [[Category:South Africa women One Day International cricketers]] [[Category:South Africa women Twenty20 International cricketers]] [[Category:Border women cricketers]] [[Category:Central Gauteng women cricketers]] [[Category:IPL Supernovas cricketers]] [[Category:IPL Velocity cricketers]] [[Category:Guyana Amazon Warriors (WCPL) cricketers]] [[Category:Cricketers at the 2022 Commonwealth Games]] [[Category:Commonwealth Games competitors for South Africa]]