9 Facts you need to know about Marco Jansen - The young Mumbai Indians pacer for IPL 2021

Over the years, Mumbai Indians have scouted for talents across the globe, brought them in, gave them the experience which every young player would feel privileged to receive, and then used them in important situations to make them big-match players. They trusted Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah when they were young and now they are getting the results. 

At the 2021 IPL auction, when Marco Jansen’s name popped up, a lot of fans were surprised to hear the name. Not a lot of people knew about him back then. The only piece of information which was revealed at the time was the fact that he was from South Africa and that he has experience of playing four T20 matches. Mumbai were the first and only bidder for the bowler and took him home for a base price of INR 20 lakhs.

Jansen also made his IPL debut in the first game of the 2021 season for MI. Though he didn’t play for the rest of the season, Jansen looked impressive. Soon he was elevated in South Africa’s domestic circuit. His brilliant performances in first-class cricket and for the A side, helped him to make his Test debut for South Africa in Boxing Day Test.

Here are some of the facts about Marco Jansen:

1. Born in Klerksdorp

Marco Jansen was born on May 1, 2000, in Klerksdorp which is located in the North West Province of South Africa.

2. Spotted by the Indian players during 2017-18 season

Marco Jansen was given an opportunity to bowl at the Indian players in the nets during their South African tour in 2017-18. After Virat Kohli and head coach Ravi Shastri saw them, they invited him and his twin brother, to come and bowl at another practice session.

3. List A debut in 2017-18

Around the time when he was bowling to the Indian players in the nets, he also got an opportunity to make his List A debut for North West Province in the 2017–18 CSA Provincial One-Day Challenge.

4. First-class career

Jansen made his first-class debut for North West Province in the CSA 3-day Provincial Cup 2018-19. Until now, he has played 12 matches and picked up 52 wickets at an average of 20.51 and a brilliant strike-rate of 37.8. He is a pretty handy batter as well with two fifties to his name from the 21 times that he has batted. In List A cricket, he has played 13 matches, picking up 16 wickets. His T20 experience is quite low, having played only four matches so far.

5. Duan- Marco’s twin brother 

Marco Jansen’s twin brother Duan has also been looked upon as one of the most exciting young talents in South Africa. He had also been invited to the Indian team’s practice session back in 2017-18. After making his debut for North West Province, he shifted base to play for Free State in the 2019-20 domestic season.

6. U19 experience in India

Jansen also featured in the South Africa U19 team on a tour to India in January 2019. So, this won’t be the first time that he will be travelling to the country.

7. Picked for the South Africa team

His brilliant first-class record helped him get a call-up for the South African team which toured Pakistan recently. He didn’t get a Test cap but got some priceless experience with the national team for the first time. 

8. Words of praises from Zaheer Khan 

Former India left-arm pacer Zaheer Khan, who is also the director of cricket operations with Mumbai Indians, said after the auction that he expected bidding around the young pacer. “The youngster Marco (Jansen) has been a very highly rated bowler in South Africa. We were actually surprised to see him go at such a low price. We were expecting some more bidding around him,” Khan said in an Instagram video.

9. Akash Ambani makes more revelations 

Owner of the Mumbai Indians franchise, Akash Ambani, revealed that South Africa skipper Quinton de Kock actually suggested Jansen’s name to them. “We have been tracking him for the past two years. We’ve been having an international scout program put in the place in the last few years like we have had an Indian scout program. This year he was in the Test squad going to Pakistan. We had a quiet word with Quinny (Quinton de Kock) and he said ‘you have to go for him, he is completely ready now’,” Akash Ambani said.

10. Made his Test debut

On December 26, 2021, Marco Jansen made his Test debut against India.