Rising to the standard: Kayla Reyneke ready to trade dreams for Proteas Women senior caps

Proteas Women's new recruit Kayla Reyneke says she was impressed with the team's high intensity, but she has vowed to rise to their standards to live her dream.

Reyneke, the former Proteas Women's Under-19 captain, recently joined the senior side during a camp in late January at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria. Head coach Mandla Mashimbyi and convenor of selectors Clinton du Preez handed the 20-year-old her maiden senior call-up for this month's inbound tour by Pakistan Women.

The camp in Pretoria served as her introduction to the environment, and the youngster was stunned by the intensity that the senior players exude. However, she vowed that she would rise to their standards to make her dream of a successful international career a reality.

"I must say, it's a very high intensity, but I can't complain at all. I mean, this is what I've dreamed of as a youngster," Reyneke told Independent Media.

"It's been great being under good management and a really amazing group of players. I just want to learn as much as possible and have a lot of fun, and we'll see how it goes."

The 20-year-old reflected on the moment she received the call from Mashimbyi, describing it as a rollercoaster of emotions. Luckily for her, her mother and brother were nearby to share the news.

"I got the call from Mandla, and I had just woken up from an afternoon nap. The first thing I did was tell my mom and my brother, which was really quite exciting," she said. "He just told me to have fun, play without any expectations and anything like that. In terms of my role in the team, I would say I have a bit of skill with my batting and my bowling, so I am bringing that all-round ability into the squad."

South Africa and Pakistan are set to compete in three T20Is and three ODIs, with the tour scheduled to run from Tuesday, 10 February to Sunday, 1 March 2026. Reyneke has only been included in the T20I squad, which suggests that management may be considering her for selection for this year’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, set to take place in England and Wales in June.

Reyneke's inclusion has seen the exclusion of another exciting youngster, Miané Smit, as Mashimbyi aims to use the tour to widen the talent pool and build depth ahead of the global showpiece.