‘You aren’t remembered for playing semifinals, you are remembered for winning World Cups’ 

Elite at all levels: Marizanne Kapp is one of the finest all-rounders in the game — she has scored 3,545 runs and taken 223 wickets for South Africa in white-ball internationals. She is also a proven winner in franchise leagues around the world. Photo credit: Getty Images

Value for money: Delhi Capitals paid ₹1.5 crore for Kapp’s services, which proved to be a bargain. She was one of the standout performers in the WPL’s inaugural edition. Photo credit: Getty Images

Lethal weapon: Kapp’s wicket-taking ability with the new ball is a strength that her teams, both in international and franchise cricket, have come to rely on. Photo credit: Getty Images

Marizanne Kapp was tipped to be one of the most expensive players at the inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League. She is not merely one of the finest all-rounders in the game — she has 3,545 runs and 223 wickets in international white-ball cricket — but is a serial-winner of franchise leagues as well. Remarkably, she was the Player-of-the-Match in three big finals: The Hundred in England (2021 and 2022) and the WBBL in Australia (2021).

But, surprisingly, she didn’t excite the franchises at the auction in the manner in which Smriti Mandhana, Nat Sciver-Brunt or Ashleigh Gardner did. While Smriti was signed by Royal Challengers Bangalore for ₹3.4 crore, Sciver-Brunt and Gardner were each paid ₹3.2 crore by Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Giants respectively.

Delhi Capitals got Kapp for ₹1.5 crore. That was a bargain.

Not surprisingly, she emerged as one of the WPL’s standout performers and found herself in yet another league final. But this time she ended up on the losing side: Capitals were beaten by the mighty Mumbai Indians at the Brabourne Stadium.

That defeat wasn’t the only disappointment Kapp had to deal with during her time in Mumbai last month. Her spouse and South Africa teammate Dane van Niekerk announced her retirement from international cricket — she was hurt by her omission from the T20 World Cup team — during the WPL.

Kapp revealed that she cried on the Capitals team bus when she learnt of her partner’s decision. That day, she took five for 15, against Gujarat Giants, and watching her live at the D.Y. Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai was van Niekerk, who was part of the RCB squad.

In an interview with The Hindu, Kapp spoke about being the only girl who played cricket in her locality, South Africa’s commendable run to the final in the T20 World Cup at home, the WPL, the cricketer she continues to be a huge fan of even though he rarely plays now and van Niekerk’s retirement. Excerpts:

How do you look back at the recent T20 World Cup in South Africa?

The support we received at the World Cup from the crowds was amazing. Becoming the first senior South African side [male or female] to reach an ICC World Cup final was a highlight. It was a very proud moment for us. But still, you won’t be remembered for playing semifinals, you will be remembered for winning World Cups. We can’t get stuck on us reaching the final. Even though we are proud, our main aim is still to win the World Cup.

Dane van Niekerk wasn’t part of that South African team. She announced her retirement from international cricket during the WPL, at the age of 29.

But look at her career. Even though she is just 29, she has been playing for 14 years. I don’t think you should just look at the numbers. She has had a brilliant career. And I hope she continues to play in these leagues. Both of us made our debut for South Africa during the 2009 World Cup in Australia. Obviously I am sad that she won’t be playing for South Africa again. And I felt the same when Lizelle Lee and Mignon du Preez also retired. We played together for so many years. It is disappointing to know that they won’t be there in the South African team any more.

At the WPL, Dane didn’t get to play a game…

That is something about these leagues. RCB has been so good to her; she had not been playing a lot of cricket. She was a bit nervous. She was treated well. Everybody would have loved to see her on the park. But finding her feet again and being in a team environment also mattered a lot to her.

Your thoughts on the WPL?

I have been part of a few franchise leagues, so I wasn’t sure of what to expect, especially because the WPL happened at such short notice. I was pleasantly surprised by how well it was run and the talents on display. After coming from South Africa, playing on the wickets here in India was a different experience. Batting was a bit easier. I wasn’t too happy with my bowling in the first few games — it took a while to adjust to the conditions. 

I have been really surprised by a lot of the Under-19 girls from India, by how well they are playing for their age. Just imagine where they will end up and where this league will take the Indian women’s cricket team. Everyone has benefited from the WPL — even myself, someone who has been playing for 18 years. I have learnt from batting on the wickets here: they became slow and started to turn. You learn so much, you get better.

You came up with the best bowling figures at the WPL — five for 15 from four overs against Gujarat Giants. It was one of the finest spells of the tournament. Would you term it as one of your best in the format?

That probably was my best. There was a spell of mine in the WBBL, in which I was on four-for, but [the catch for] my five-for got dropped.  

What are your earliest memories of cricket?

Probably as the only girl playing cricket. I remember my mother asking the school principal whether I could join the boys’ team. Back then there was no women’s cricket, especially at school level.

Growing up, who were your idols in cricket?

They were all from South Africa — Jacques Kallis, Shaun Pollock and Allan Donald.

Any current cricketers that you look up to?

I love watching Virat Kohli bat. I have been an M.S. Dhoni fan. I have always thought he was absolutely amazing. Though he is no longer playing international cricket, I am one of his biggest fans. And yes, I will be watching him at the IPL.