South Africa has suffered a massive setback as their start speedster Anrich Nortje has been ruled out of the upcoming 2025 Champions Trophy due to a back injury, as per a Cricbuzz report. It came as a huge blow for South Africa with just 35 days to the start of Champions Trophy. Notably, Champions Trophy 2025 will be played from February 19 to March 9.
Anrich Nortje ruled out of Champions Trophy
Cricket South Africa (CSA) confirmed that scans conducted on Monday revealed the extent of the injury. Nortje, who missed Wednesday's SA20 game for Paarl Royals against MI Cape Town, is expected to be sidelined for a considerable period.
CSA acknowledged that Nortje is 'not expected to recover in time' for the tournament, which begins with South Africa facing Afghanistan in Karachi on February 21. While a replacement has not yet been officially announced, CSA has indicated that they will make an announcement in due course.
The injury concerns is nothing new to Nortje. He has been diligently working on his fitness, opting out of red-ball cricket to recover from a stress fracture in his back sustained in 2023. The injury unfortunately prevented him from participating in the ODI World Cup 2023. Notably, he also missed the 2019 edition due to a broken thumb.
Despite these setbacks, Nortje came out all guns blazing in the 2024 T20 World Cup in the USA and Barbados, consistently achieving impressive speeds. He maintained this high level of performance in franchise cricket as well.
Gerald Coetzee in line to replace Anrich Nortje
According to Cricbuzz, pace all-rounder Gerald Coetzee is the leading contender to replace Anrich Nortje in the South African squad for the 2025 Champions Trophy.
This speculation aligns with coach Rob Walter's previous comments, who, when announcing the original squad, had already highlighted Coetzee as a player of similar caliber to Nortje.
“Gerald Coetzee played very well in the 2023 World Cup, but it was between him and Anrich Nortje. They offer high pace, both of them. Anrich has more experience and attributes that will stand us in good stead in Pakistan. Gerald has done nothing wrong to not be selected," Rob Walter said, as quoted by News 18.
Going by his comment, it looks like Coetzee was already being considered as a potential replacement should any unforeseen circumstances arise, making him the most likely candidate to fill the void left by Nortje's injury.
Anrich Nortje's participation in IPL 2025 in jeopardy
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), who acquired Anrich Nortje for Rs 6.50 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction, face a challenging situation due to his injury. KKR has a well-established tradition of relying on overseas fast bowlers to spearhead their attack, a role effectively fulfilled by Mitchell Starc in the previous season. If Nortje's injury necessitates his withdrawal from the IPL, which commences in March, KKR will need to place their hopes on Australian left-arm quick Spencer Johnson and Indian pacer Umran Malik to effectively lead their pace attack and defend their title.
South Africa's squad for Champions Trophy:
Temba Bavuma (captain), Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen.