Marco Jansen’s rise over the past year and a half has been one of the most compelling progress stories in modern cricket. Whether he’s been asked to bat in the lower order with little time to settle, or to deliver the ball when a match is at its most unpredictable, the South African has consistently found ways to influence the contest. In the IPL, his impact has only grown, with Punjab Kings increasingly viewing him as a dependable option who can be trusted to deliver in pressure moments. It’s a striking turnaround for a player who only committed to cricket as a full-time pursuit at 17, after stepping away from the idea of continuing in rugby.
By the time he reached 25, Jansen had effectively identified his craft: landing the ball on a length that keeps batters uncomfortable across formats. The biggest challenge for fast bowlers in T20 cricket is that the format rewards variety, and demand constant adjustments—pace, angles, and methods of attack. Yet Jansen has handled that chaos with remarkable composure, turning his strengths into a repeatable weapon. A key part of his development has been the influence of Australia’s Josh Hazlewood, whose ability to bowl in a Test-like rhythm has left a clear imprint on Jansen’s own bowling mindset.
Jansen has openly acknowledged that connection when discussing why his lengths remain so steady, no matter the format. He said he isn’t surprised by how the process works, pointing to Hazlewood’s habit of sticking to the same core idea and still getting wickets. Jansen explained that people often ask how Hazlewood can keep hitting a consistent length and repeatedly strike, while also conceding relatively few runs. In Jansen’s view, the secret is not just accuracy, but the control that comes from choosing one’s method early and executing it with discipline, even when the surrounding conditions change.
He also clarified that while he and Hazlewood share a similar physical profile as tall fast bowlers, their approaches aren’t carbon copies. Jansen noted that Hazlewood has his own set of variations, and that he too uses one or two different options. The crucial difference, he said, is that they bowl different lengths. Jansen reflected that when he was younger, he tried to replicate the lengths of other bowlers, instead of fully appreciating how his own game can be distinct. Over time—especially in the last year or so—he says he’s grown more comfortable with what he brings, and that acceptance has helped him become more effective rather than overthinking his role.
At Punjab Kings, the evolution has taken on a tactical edge. Jansen can’t rely on swing as the central threat in his IPL overs, mainly because he often doesn’t get the new ball. Instead, he has had to sharpen his ability to bowl with the older ball, finding ways to keep the batters under pressure without the early assistance that swing typically provides. That work began to show strongly on the Test stage as well, with Jansen unsettling Indian batters during the Test series in India last winter. The same principle—bowling with purpose and repeatedly targeting trouble—carried into the shorter format, where his focus is firmly on wicket-taking rather than simply building overs.
In T20s, Jansen’s role has also required flexibility in how he times his impact. He admitted that he’s used to bowling in the first or second over, but understands that he needs to be ready to adapt if he’s brought on as early as the third, fourth, or even the fifth over. The shift in match context changes what batters are looking for and how they decide to play, so the execution must adjust accordingly. Still, Jansen believes he has the skills to make that transition, and he continues to back himself to find wickets even when his starting position in the innings is different from what he’s most accustomed to.
