Kagiso Rabada sees home advantage as 'freedom', targets South Africa’s maiden ODI World Cup title

South Africa pacer Kagiso Rabada believes playing the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup on home soil will not add pressure on the Proteas. Instead, he sees the tournament as an opportunity for the team to protect its home advantage and finally claim its maiden 50-over World Cup title.

South Africa will co-host the 14th edition of the tournament alongside Zimbabwe and Namibia, with matches set to be played across the three countries.

Rabada Sees Home World Cup as an Opportunity

Speaking to the ICC during the official Cricket World Cup 2027 venue and brand announcement event in Johannesburg, Rabada dismissed the idea that hosting the tournament would create additional pressure. The 31-year-old said playing in familiar surroundings should give South Africa a sense of freedom and responsibility rather than anxiety.

"Well, I think there's a lot more to it at the moment with us hosting it. It's almost like freedom as well. I don't feel the pressure of us playing at home and feeling the need to win it," Rabada told the ICC at the official Cricket World Cup 2027 venue and brand announcement event in Johannesburg.

"It's almost like, we're at home, and we're going to defend this fortress. And that's what it means to me. It's about representing the badge," he added.

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Proteas believe they can handle knockout pressure

South Africa have developed a reputation for falling short in major ICC tournaments despite regularly producing strong teams. However, Rabada believes the team's recent experiences in high-pressure matches have helped remove some of those doubts.

The Proteas won their maiden ICC World Test Championship title in 2025, defeating Australia in the final at Lord's. Their performances across formats have also strengthened the belief within the squad that they can deliver when the stakes are highest.

"We've shown that we can go and play in finals and in the semi-finals. It's just about that last step. So the confidence is there. The belief is most definitely there, just about going that one extra step," he said.

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