Nthabiseng Nini using her story to uplift girls from disadvantaged backgrounds

Nini made part of the Junior Proteas Women’s squad that returned with a silver medal from the 2025 ICC T20 World Cup.

Speaking to SABC Sport, Nini says experiencing back-to-back T20 World Cups has been a dream come true and hopes young girls from towns can draw inspiration from her to also chase their dreams.

"Back-to-back T20 World Cup for me is honestly a dream come true growing up in Ikageng, I never imagined I'd achieve something like this. It shows that no matter where you come from if you work hard and stay focused you can achieve greatness,” Nini said.

“I want to use my journey to inspire young girls especially those from small communities to believe in their potential and chase their dreams no matter the challenges."

Nini explains how she got introduced to cricket for the first time, as a young girl growing up in Ikageng, a township in Potchefstroom that has limited exposure to the sport.

"How I got into cricket was because of my friend Nthabeleng Sikwi whom I see as my sister. She was the one who introduced me to the sport and that's when I started to fall in love with the game," she added.

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Nini alongside teammates, all-rounder Jemma Botha and captain  Kayla Reyneke were listed in ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 team of the year.

She says it an honour to receive a high recognition in world cricket.

"Being part of the ICC team of the year is an incredible honour, I feel so grateful and humbled to be in the same group as some of the best in the world. To Jemma and Kayla I'd say congratulations, we've all worked so hard and for that I'd like to make a special mention to the management for the hard work they have contributed and for putting the players first for us to succeed in every World Cup match we played.

“This recognition is a testament to our dedication. It's a privilege to be among such talented players."