'I see myself as someone who's willing to give my blood for this team and...': Kagiso Rabada breaks silence after South Africa's WTC final triumph against Australia

South Africa speedster Kagiso Rabada, who picked up a nine-wicket haul in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia, has refused to see himself as a star. He said that he sees himself as someone willing to give his blood for the South African cricket team.

South Africa defeated Australia by five wickets to win their first ICC trophy after 27 years, and Rabada played a huge role in the team's win against Australia at the iconic Lord's Stadium in England. After his impressive performance against Australia, the veteran speedster became South Africa's all-time wicket-taker and possesses the best strike rate in the game for anyone with more than 200 wickets in the format.

ALSO READ: 'It is something which has not been achieved by many people...': Rohit Sharma's video of giving tribute to Angelo Mathews for his farewell Test goes viral

"I don't see myself as a star. I see myself as someone who's willing to give my blood for this team and continue working hard and improving. That's me as a cricketer, always wanting to improve and playing for the badge with a lot of pride," he told reporters at Lord's as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.

"I've been working extremely hard, and those second-inning spells are the ones that count more when you're a bit tired. You could be behind the game, or you could be ahead of the game. This time, we're behind the game. But I think it was just about staying calm and looking at what's in front of us. That's the way I see myself," he added.

ALSO READ: 'He'll be a mix of Kohli and Rohit...': Shubman Gill's IPL teammate passes verdict on his captaincy ahead of England Test series

Coming back to the match, Kagiso Rabada's nine-wicket haul, followed by a brilliant performance by Temba Bavuma and Aiden Markram, helped the Proteas to defeat the Pat Cummins-led side. While chasing 282 runs in the second innings, Markram played a 136-run knock and skipper Bavuma scored 66 runs.

The WTC final lasted 10 sessions, and the Proteas seized the advantage early after forcing Australia to succumb to 212. Despite the advantage, South Africa fumbled on the opportunity and folded their first innings on 138.

Even after a setback, South Africa didn't let their heads down. They chained Australia in the second innings and had them reeling at 73/7 at one point. However, a late surge from Alex Carey and Mitchell Starc ballooned Australia's lead to 282. But on a flattening pitch, Aiden Markram's stellar 136 steered them to a five-wicket win, helping South Africa to lift their first ICC title since 1982.