South Africa are yet to win a World Cup at the senior level - both men’s and women’s combined, having come close thrice in the last two years. The Proteas reached the Women’s T20 World Cuo finals twice (2023 and 2024) while the men’s side lost to India in the summit clash of the T20 World Cup this year.

The men’s team also reached the semi-finals of the ODI World Cup last year, before losing to Australia. The agonising defeat came after a brilliant group stage, where they finished second, behind India, with 14 points and a Net Run Rate of +1.261.

South Africa now have an outside chance of making the World Test Championship final for the first time, needing to win three of their last four matches in the cycle.

Rabada, who has been an integral part of the South African team in the last few years, suggests that even if his side wins the WTC, it would not “completely satisfy” him with the ODI World Cup title, which has more history and value, remaining the pinnacle of the sport.

Rabada: The 50-over World Cup has so much value and history

In an exclusive interview with SportsBoom, Rabada, currently the no.1 ranked Test bowler with 313 wickets at an average of 21.49, said: “We are edging closer and closer to winning a World Cup and it’s just a matter of making that last, full step. But it was nice to be in that moment, we now know what it takes. You need a bit of luck as well.

“But having that experience is important, coming so close under high pressure, experiencing that will be invaluable going forward. I think the lesson we take from that final is not to over-complicate things, but the lessons will apply to each individual differently. But there was so much agony and once you feel it, you can’t unfeel it.”

He added: “Winning the World Test Championship would not completely satisfy me, although I would still be very proud, and it would be amazing to do it. But the 50-over World Cup has so much value and history; the World Test Championship is not there yet, it’s a new thing.

“For me, winning the ODI World Cup is the holy mecca. You lose one game in the playoffs there and you’re gone. Whereas the World Test Championship is about who the best team is over a two-year period. We are now at crunch time in that tournament.”

Rabada also has 157 ODI wickets at an average of 27.77 along with 71 scalps in T20 cricket for South Africa.

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