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London - If the Proteas are to make it all the way through to a July 14 Lord's final at the Cricket World Cup, then Kagiso Rabada will have almost certainly been influential in getting them there.
Now 24, Rabada has spent the last four years since he first broke onto the international stage carving out a reputation for himself as one of the world's most respected fast bowlers.
He has a silky-smooth action, is a natural athlete, cranks his speeds up to 150 kph regularly and one of his biggest strengths is an ability to knock over prized batsmen at any given moment.
Even when things are not going according to plan, Rabada can strike with a delivery that is near-unplayable.
Ruthless in the recently-completed IPL, Rabada was well on his way to finishing that competition as the leading wicket-taker before a back strain saw his participation end abruptly.
Proteas management ensures that he is now 100% fit and ready to go for Thursday's tournament opener against hosts and tournament favourites England at The Oval.
If Rabada's role wasn't crucial already, it is even more so now that Dale Steyn has been ruled out of that first fixture.
There may be question marks hovering over a few areas in the South African ranks - batting depth and who will be backed as Steyn's replacement included - but one thing the leadership group can bank on is that in Rabada they have a player capable of knocking over the very best.
It is no understatement that he will be key to any success South Africa have in England.
Having broken onto the international stage in 2015 with an ODI debut at the age of 20, Rabada narrowly missed being involved in that year's World Cup heartache that saw South Africa lose their semi-final against New Zealand in Auckland.
He has notched up 66 ODIs since then and is now one of the more experienced players in the SA bowling attack, but this will be his first crack at the grandest prize of them all.
Speaking to media on Wednesday, skipper Du Plessis gave Rabada a stamp of approval, backing him to do the business when it matters most.
"KG, the talent that he is, he doesn't need any guidance from me," Du Plessis said.
"I can try and speak to him a little bit from a tactical point of view, but I certainly am not trying to tell him how to bowl.
"It's just about letting him be free.
"He's a world class athlete and people like him are at their best when they have a stage to perform. This World Cup will be a stage for KG to once again show the world what kind of bowler he is."
Play on Thursday gets underway at 11:30.
