Bavuma named in Time’s 100 most influential athletes

South African captain Temba Bavuma was one of only two cricketers named in Time Magazine’s 100 “Most Influential People in Sports in 2026”.

Bavuma, who led the Proteas to the World Test Championship title at Lord’s last year, was named among a list that included Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Rory McIlroy, Aryna Sabalenka, Kimi Antonelli and Carlos Alcaraz.

Jalen Brunson, the point guard of the newly crowned NBA Champions, the New York Knicks, was another notable inclusion. Lebron James was named “Athlete of the century” by the publication.

Indian opening batter Smriti Mandhana, part of that country’s victorious World Cup winning squad - which defeated SA in the final in Mumbai last year - was the other cricketer on the list.

In a citation by Time’s editor-at-large, Charlie Campbell, Bavuma is described as always carrying “more than the weight of his shirt”.

“As one of just a handful of black South African cricketers, his successes were lauded as a turning point for the sport. But any setbacks were never merely his own. Fortunately, Bavuma has enjoyed many more successes than setbacks,” Campbell wrote.

“ In 2016, he became the first black South African to hit a century (scoring 100 or more runs in an inning), and five years later he was his nation’s first black captain. Last year, Bavuma led South Africa to a historic Test series win in India as well as victory in the World Test Championship (WTC), besting a heavily favored Australia in the final and emerging from the tournament undefeated. It was South Africa’s first international title since 1998 and owed much to Bavuma’s heroic 66 runs in the final despite his being hobbled by a hamstring strain.”

Bavuma’s 147-run second innings partnership with Aiden Markram, put the seal on a momentous victory for the Proteas. Bavuma was lauded across the cricket world and celebrated at home.

He’d played an influential role in getting SA to the final too, scoring crucial centuries against Sri Lanka and Pakistan in the lead-up.

On Sunday, Bavuma lead the Ghent Gladiators to victory in the inaugural EUT20 League title in Belgium.

Springbok captain Siya Kolisi had been included in the Time list in 2024.