Kwena Maphaka's projected WAR/M of -0.27 is the lowest on RR's roster. His bowling WAR/M of -0.09 across 720 bowling balls means he has actively hurt his teams' chances of winning over his T20 career. At 36 matches, the sample is not trivial.

In his career, Maphaka bowled 120 overs at 9 economy with 30 wickets. His phase splits are uniformly average to poor: powerplay 9, middle 9, death 10.

Why He Is Excluded

Maphaka is an overseas player with negative projected value. The 4 overseas slots are occupied by players projecting 0.17 to 0.36 WAR/M. Adding Maphaka to the XI would be expected to cost RR wins, not gain them.

His regressed WAR/M of 0.04 is more charitable, reflecting heavy regression to the mean, but still below the threshold for selection.

What This Means for IPL 2026

Maphaka is a developmental investment. His raw pace and age suggest upside, but the current numbers do not support selection. He is RR's third-choice overseas seamer behind Burger and Archer, and behind Milne as well. Significant improvement in economy and dot rate would be needed before he enters the XII discussion.