Meet Wiaan Mulder: 5 Things You Didn’t Know About SA’s New Cricket Sensation

South African all-rounder Wiaan Mulder has stunned the cricketing world with a historic 367 in the second Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo. This performance has instantly thrust him into the spotlight.

Captaining the Proteas for the first time in the absence of Temba Bavuma and Keshav Maharaj, the 27-year-old made headlines not just for the sheer volume of runs. He boldly declared the innings at 626/5, just 34 runs shy of Brian Lara’s all-time record of 400 not out.

Here are five things you may not know about South Africa’s newest cricketing star:

1. Roots at a Cricketing Powerhouse

Born Pieter Willem Adriaan Mulder on 19 February 1998, Wiaan sharpened his skills at St Stithian’s College in Johannesburg. This school is renowned for producing top cricket talent like Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, and rising star Kwena Maphaka. Mulder started playing provincial age-group cricket for Gauteng at just 13. He made his senior debut for the Lions while still in high school. His leadership skills were evident early, as he captained both the South African Schools and U19 national teams.

2. International Debut at 18

Mulder made his international debut at just 18 years old. He played for South Africa in an ODI against Bangladesh in October 2017. Though named in the Test and T20 squads soon after, it wasn’t until February 2019 that he earned his first Test cap, against Sri Lanka. Despite early struggles with the bat, he began to find form. He eventually scored his maiden Test century (105*) against Bangladesh in October 2024.

3. The All-Rounder South Africa Needed

Initially seen more as a bowling all-rounder, Mulder’s early Test career was modest. He had a batting average of just 17.43 with only one fifty in 25 innings. His bowling fared slightly better with 25 wickets at 25.00. However, under head coach Shukri Conrad, who took over in 2023, Mulder was given consistent opportunities and began to blossom. After a gritty half-century in Mirpur, he followed up with an unbeaten 105 in Chattogram. This signaled a shift in form and confidence.

4. From No.7 to No.3

Though he made his first century while batting down at number seven, Mulder was eventually promoted to the crucial number three spot in the batting lineup. His start was shaky, scoring just five and six in his early innings in the role. However, he showed promise with a composed 27 during a successful run chase against Australia at Lord’s in the World Test Championship final. He built on that momentum with a fluent 147 in the second innings of the first Test against Zimbabwe. This paved the way for his record-breaking triple century in the next match.

5. Climbing Into the Record Books

Mulder’s unbeaten 367 now stands as the highest-ever Test score by a South African. He overtook Hashim Amla’s 311. He’s also entered the top five individual scores in Test history, behind only Lara (400*), Hayden (380), Lara again (375), and Jayawardene (374). Among his incredible milestones:

His 264 runs on Day 1 is the second-highest ever in a single day of Test cricket, behind Don Bradman’s 309 in 1930.
He scored 131 runs in the third session alone, a new South African record for runs in a single session.
He followed that with 103 before lunch the next day, becoming only the third batter in Test history (after Bradman and Wally Hammond) to score centuries in consecutive sessions.

A Star Ascends

From promising schoolboy to history-making Test captain, Wiaan Mulder’s journey has been nothing short of remarkable. With bat in hand and calm leadership on display, South Africa may have finally found the all-rounder they’ve long been searching for. If this innings is anything to go by, Mulder is only getting started.