Nominee for Double CSA Awards Kayla Reineke remains humble after an impressive debut year

Records and Nominations

Notably, Reineke is the only athlete in the world to score winning runs with the last ball in both her T20I and ODI debuts. It was these performances that led to her being nominated for 'Newcomer of the Year in International Women's Cricket' and 'Player of the Year in International Women's T20' after her first international season.

In an exclusive interview with Independent Media, Reineke shared her thoughts: 'Of course, you dream about all this, but now you are doing it. It's like two different things.' She recounted that during preparations for the second half of the season in the Western Province, while the team was at a training camp with SA coaches, the situation changed. She was selected to participate in the series against Pakistan, and according to her, the coaches saw potential in her. 'I just kept working with them, and I am very grateful for these opportunities.'

Career Ambitions and Development

The judges have yet to decide whether Reineke is a spinner who hits the ball hard or a batter capable of playing several useful overs. She hopes that by the end of next season, she will develop into a complete, true all-rounder. 'I would like to see myself as an all-rounder, not just a specialist in one thing,' she stated. 'I don't want to claim that I hit better or bowl better. Powerful shots are a nice bonus, a kind of reward at the end of a session. If you have had a really good and disciplined session, you can have a session with powerful shots. I just want to be a real all-rounder.'

A former junior provincial javelin champion, whose sporting experience is similar to that of Proteas teammate Tazmin Brits, believes that sharing a dressing room with legendary figures will accelerate her development early in her career. Reineke highly values the opportunity to be part of a squad that includes experienced captains such as Laura Wolvaardt, Marizanne Kapp, Dane van Niekerk, and Shabnim Ismail. 'It is truly a cool opportunity for young players to get into this environment and share the dressing room with them, especially with the experience they bring,' she noted. She emphasized that the value lies not only in playing in South Africa but also in participating in leagues around the world. 'Obviously, you want to learn as much as possible from them. You take what suits you and what they have learned over the years. It was great to have the chance to share the dressing room with them, especially during my first World Cup.'

Awards Ceremony

The CSA Awards 2026 ceremony is scheduled to be a brilliant event taking place at the Sandton Convention Centre on Thursday evening.