3 players who won both the WTC Final 2025 mace and the U19 World Cup 2014 for South Africa ft. Aiden Markram

South Africa beat Australia by five wickets in the ICC 2025 World Test Championship (WTC) final at the iconic Lord's Cricket Stadium on Saturday, June 14. With the win, the Proteas ended their 27-year-old wait for an ICC trophy. Their previous win in an ICC event came in 1998 when they lifted the ICC KnockOut Trophy in Bangladesh by defeating West Indies in the final in Dhaka.

Set a target of 282, South Africa began Day 4 needing 69 runs for a historic triumph, with eight wickets in hand. Skipper Temba Bavuma, who was unbeaten on 65 overnight, fell to his opposite number Pat Cummins after adding just one run to his score. Aiden Markram, who was 102* overnight, however, continued his good work and ended up scoring 136, taking his team to the doorstep of victory.

Markram was named Player of the WTC final for his stupendous batting effort. Interestingly, the batter was one of the three players from the 2025 WTC final squad who featured in South Africa’s triumph in the 2014 U19 World Cup held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In this feature, we look at the Proteas players who were part of the 2014 U19 World Cup squad and the 2025 WTC final team.

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#3 Corbin Bosch

South African all-rounder Corbin Bosch did not make it to the playing XI for the 2025 WTC final at Lord's. However, he was part of Proteas' 15-member team chosen for the grand final. The 30-year-old made a stunning Test debut against Pakistan at the SuperSport Park in Centurion in the Boxing Day Test last year. Bosch picked up four wickets in the first innings and then smashed 81*.

Amazingly, Bosch was the Player of the Match in the 2014 U19 World Cup final, which was also played against Pakistan in Dubai. He registered excellent figures of 4-15, dismissing the likes of Saud Shakeel and Kamran Ghulam. The right-arm seamer claimed nine wickets in five matches in the tournament at an average of 14.66 and an economy rate of 3.25.

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#2 Kagiso Rabada

Seasoned South African pacer Kagiso Rabada was the standout bowler for the Proteas in the 2025 WTC final against Australia. Coming into the summit clash on the back of a massive controversy - a one-month ban for recreational drug use - the fast bowler ensured he made news for all the right reasons.

After South Africa decided to bowl first on winning the toss, Rabada ripped through the Australian batting line-up and registered superb figures of 5-51. He dismissed Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green early on Day 1 and returned to pick up three more wickets at the back end. After South Africa were bowled out cheaply in the first innings, Rabada again starred with four crucial second-innings scalps.

The right-arm pacer was the second-leading wicket-taker in the 2014 U19 World Cup in the UAE. In five matches, Rabada picked up 14 wickets at an average of 10.28 and an economy rate of 3.10. He claimed 6-25 against Australia in the second semi-final and 3-14 against West Indies in a group clash. Rabada was economical in the final against Pakistan, registering figures of 1-26 from 10 overs.

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#1 Aiden Markram

If Rabada starred with the ball, Markram was the pillar behind South Africa's 2025 WTC final triumph when it came to the batting department. Having been dismissed for a duck in the first innings, the opener lifted his game and played one of the finest knocks ever in an ICC final.

Chasing a challenging target of 282, the Proteas needed someone to anchor the innings. Markram took up the responsibility and occupied the crease for 383 minutes. His assured stay out in the middle calmed the nerves in the South African dressing room. By the time he was dismissed, the game was all but over.

Markram was also the captain of the South African team that won the U19 World Cup in 2014. He led from the front, scoring 370 runs at an average of 123.33 and a strike rate of 77.89, slamming two hundreds and one half-century. He scored an unbeaten 66 in the final as the Proteas chased down 132 in 42.1 overs, with six wickets in hand. Fittingly, Markram was named Player of the Series.