South Africa’s star pacer Kagiso Rabada etched his name into the history books on Wednesday (October 22) by smashing the highest individual score by a No. 11 batter for South Africa in Test cricket.
The 30-year-old tailender came in at No. 11 and played a blistering knock of 71 runs off 61 balls, breaking a 119-year-old record held by Bert Vogler, who scored 62* against England in 1906.
A Stunning Knock at No. 11
Rabada’s innings was nothing short of spectacular. He struck four fours and four sixes during his stay at the crease, putting together a 98-run stand for the 10th wicket with Senuran Muthusamy, who remained unbeaten on 89 off 155 balls.
Before Rabada’s heroics, Vogler’s unbeaten 62 had been the benchmark for South African No. 11 batters for more than a century.
Top 5 Scores by No. 11 Batters for South Africa
| Player | Runs | Balls | 4/6s | Against | Venue | Year |
| Kagiso Rabada | 71 | 61 | 4/4 | Pakistan | Rawalpindi | 2025 |
| Bert Vogler | 62* | – | 5/3 | England | Cape Town | 1906 |
| Pat Symcox | 54 | 42 | 6/0 | Australia | Adelaide | 1998 |
| Morne Morkel | 40 | 63 | 7/0 | New Zealand | Wellington | 2017 |
| Dane Paterson | 39* | 40 | 6/0 | England | Gqeberha | 2020 |
Rabada’s fiery cameo helped South Africa post 404 runs in their first innings, giving them a crucial 71-run lead over Pakistan.
Where Rabada’s Knock Ranks Globally
While Rabada now holds the South African record, the all-time highest score by a No. 11 batter in Test cricket belongs to Ashton Agar, who smashed 98 for Australia against England in 2013.
He’s followed by Tino Best (95*), James Anderson (81), and Zaheer Khan (75). Rabada’s 71 now stands at fifth on this elite list.
| Player | Team | Runs | Balls | 4/6s | Against | Venue | Year |
| Ashton Agar | Australia | 98 | 101 | 12/2 | England | Nottingham | 2013 |
| Tino Best | West Indies | 95* | 112 | 14/1 | England | Birmingham | 2012 |
| James Anderson | England | 81 | 130 | 17/0 | India | Nottingham | 2014 |
| Zaheer Khan | India | 75 | 115 | 10/2 | Bangladesh | Dhaka | 2004 |
| Kagiso Rabada | South Africa | 71 | 61 | 4/4 | Pakistan | Rawalpindi | 2025 |
How Rabada Fell
Rabada’s entertaining knock came to an end on the third ball of the 120th over when Asif Afridi dismissed him. The left-hander attempted a big shot down the ground but found Abdullah Shafique in the deep.
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