• Home
  • Player Stories
  • Who Is Duan Jansen Marco Jansens Brother Makes Dream Jsk Debut After Ipl 2026 Snub

Who is Duan Jansen? Marco Jansen’s brother makes dream JSK debut after IPL 2026 snub

Soumyajit Dutta

Duan Jansen with brother Marco Jansen [Source: @duanjansen24/Instagram]Duan Jansen with brother Marco Jansen [Source: @duanjansen24/Instagram]

Duan Jansen, the tall left-arm pacer from South Africa, who had his dream Joburg Super Kings debut in SA20 with career best figures, finally steps out of the shadow of his big brother Marco Jansen.

Being the twin brother of the Proteas star all-rounder, for Duan, it has meant living under a bright spotlight. But on December 27, 2025, at SuperSport Park in Centurion, Duan Jansen carved out his own moment of glory.

In his debut for Joburg Super Kings (JSK) in the SA20 2025-26 season, he ripped through the Pretoria Capitals' batting lineup with a career-best 4 for 23, turning a tight game into a comfortable 22-run win for his team.

Growing up for the Jansens

Duan and Marco Jansen were born on May 1, 2000, in Klerksdorp, a small town in South Africa's North West province. They are identical twins, but while they look alike, their paths in the game have been different.

Marco burst onto the international scene first, becoming a key player for South Africa with his deadly left-arm pace and handy batting.

Just a month before Duan's SA20 game, Marco tore through India's batting in the South Africa Test series and had a phenomenal year with 32 wickets and 301 runs to his name. Playing backyard cricket together shaped their dreams, but Duan's journey has been about finding his own rhythm in Marco's long shadow.

Early career and rise of Duan Jansen

Duan's cricket story started in the same grassroots setup as Marco's. He made his first-class debut for North West in the 2018-19 CSA 3-Day Provincial Cup at just 18 years old.

As a left-arm fast bowler who could swing the ball both ways and extract bounce from his height, Duan quickly caught eyes. He played for teams like the Titans and North West Dragons in South Africa's domestic circuit, building a reputation as a reliable all-rounder.

In List A and T20 cricket, he's picked up wickets steadily while chipping in with useful runs lower down the order. His big break came in the Indian Premier League (IPL). 

In the 2023 auction, the Mumbai Indians snapped him up for his base price of INR 20 lakhs, making the Jansens the first twins to feature in the IPL. Duan's IPL stint was brief, though, as he played just one match that season, bowling four overs for 53 runs for a wicket.

After that, Duan joined MI Cape Town for the first season of the SA20. He showed flashes of potential, taking wickets with his pace and bounce on lively pitches. But opportunities were limited, and he wanted more game time.

That's when Joburg Super Kings came calling. Signed ahead of Season 4 in 2025-26, Duan joined a squad packed with experience, including Faf du Plessis and Rilee Rossouw. It was a fresh start, and he grabbed it with both hands.

IPL 2026 snub and ‘the dream figure’ redemption

Just weeks before his SA20 debut, Duan faced disappointment. He registered for the IPL 2026 mini auction with a base price of INR 30 lakhs, hoping to revive his IPL career. But he didn't make it to the final list of players up for bids. However, the setback became a bounce back that swiftly came in the SA20 opener against Pretoria Capitals.

In the Jukskei derby, batting first, JSK stumbled early, losing openers. Late hits from Akeal Hosein pushed JSK to 168 for 6. Chasing, Capitals started strong. 

Openers Will Smeed (34 off 30) and Bryce Parsons (41 off 30) raced to 71 without loss, making the target look easy. The game seemed to be slipping away from JSK. Then Duan entered the attack.

Bowling a tight back-of-a-length line, Duan exploited the bounce just like his brother does. He broke the opening stand by getting Smeed, then ran through the middle order. In a stunning collapse, Capitals lost 5 wickets for 18 runs, sliding from 71 for 0 to 89 for 5. Duan's spell was magnificient as he finished with 4 for 23,

“I feel I am a lot better than I was a year or two ago. So, being here and playing my first game for the SA20, I am just settling down my nerves,” Jansen said in the post-match presser.

Nevertheless, at 25, Duan Jansen is still young, with time to build on his skills. His height, pace, and ability to swing the ball make him a threat in any format. While Marco grabs headlines, Duan is quietly proving he's more than "the other Jansen."