If being 21-years-old and playing for one of the best T20 franchises sounds like a dream, then Marco Jansen is living it. The South African pacer had a decent start to his T20 career when Mumbai Indians handed him his cap against RCB in their first game of IPL 2021.

The 6ft 8in tall youngster did leave a mark with a 2/26 in his four overs. While he is yet to make an international debut, he has it in him to be world class, and MI’s Director of Cricket, Zaheer Khan’s words of surprise at scooping this boy up at the base price this auction shows the promise he has.

His story of meeting Virat Kohli in the nets in 2017, beating him thrice, and then getting a “well bowled” from the Indian captain is well known. However, that is not the only defining moment in his yet-to-bloom cricket career so far.

Marco’s First class cricket in South Africa

The lanky pacer plays for the team Warriors and in only 6 games, he has got a whopping 23 wickets. He had an average of 20.71, but after a not-so-great last two games, his average is now at 26.43.

However, his performance at Warriors has given him what every cricketer dreams of - a national team call-up. While he hasn’t gotten that cap yet, he did join the South African squad for their tour to Pakistan after bowler Ottniel Baartman was injured.

His performance in the IPL, even though he got only two games, is sure to make his case stronger for a place in the South African national team.

The potential in the youngster

At a young age, Marco has had a chance like no other. He got to interact with ace pacers like Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult even before he could meet them as foes in his South African outfit.

In his own words, he “wants to tap into their cricket brains as much as possible,” and why wouldn’t he? In the Mumbai Indians setup, he also got to work with Shane Bond - one of the Black Caps’ best bowlers, their current coach and MI’s bowling coach. He sure must have picked up some unparalleled gems of wisdom from his seniors and coaches while playing in Blue and Gold.

He has pace, the ability to nail yorkers, and a hunger for wickets. He has been picked up at a raw stage, much like how Dale Steyn was nurtured and given opportunities. His involvement in the IPL, a rarity for uncapped foreign players, is sure to fasttrack his development.

Workload management and the right mix for SA

The South African cricket team, for a while, has been trying to find the right combination of players to make it work. For long, they’ve been on the hunt for a world-class left-arm seamer that can be a consistent part of the team. It is to be seen if Marco makes the cut.

Given the amount and variety of cricket that players are exposed to nowadays, managing Marco’s workload is something that coaches have to keep in mind. If done well, he could be a great asset to both the national team and the franchises he plays for.

The Mumbai Indians Head Coach, Mahela Jayawardene, has said how he was being watched by the team for about 3 years before they lapped him up in 2021. This said, you cannot deny the talent this youngster has in him.

Some nurturing, showing the right path and good management is all that is needed for young Marco. Before long, we hope to see him as a regular face in all the teams that he represents.