Temba Bavuma ruled out of cricket after leading South Africa to WTC glory
Published - 20 Jun 2025, 05:17 PM | Updated - 20 Jun 2025, 06:05 PM
Table of Contents
The South Africa National Cricket Team has been hit with a big blow ahead of their upcoming two-match series against Zimbabwe. South African captain Temba Bavuma has been ruled out of the upcoming Zimbabwe tour due to a hamstring injury that he picked up during the recent ICC World Test Championship Final 2025 against Australia at Lord’s.
The injury to Bavuma’s left hamstring has forced him to miss the upcoming Test series in Zimbabwe. Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Friday, June 20, confirmed that the skipper will miss the Zimbabwe tour and will go through further medical scans to understand how serious it is.
Temba Bavuma ruled out of Zimbabwe series, Keshav Maharaj to lead South Africa
In Bavuma’s absence, CSA has announced that the senior spinner Keshav Maharaj will lead the Proteas in the two-match Test series against Zimbabwe. The first Test will be played from June 28, followed by the second and final Test from July 6 at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.
CSA said in an official statement on X: “Proteas Men’s Test captain Temba Bavuma has been ruled out of the upcoming two-match Test series against Zimbabwe due to a left hamstring strain.
Bavuma sustained the injury while batting during their second innings on day three of the ICC World Test Championship Final against Australia at Lord’s Cricket Ground. He is set to undergo further scans to assess the extent of the injury. Keshav Maharaj will captain the side in his absence.”
Proteas Men’s Test captain Temba Bavuma has been ruled out of the upcoming two-match Test series against Zimbabwe due to a left hamstring strain.
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) June 20, 2025
Bavuma sustained the injury while batting during South Africa’s second innings on day three of the ICC World Test Championship Final… pic.twitter.com/MW9dXrA4r2
Temba Bavuma powers Proteas to WTC glory with injury
Bavuma, who led South Africa to the WTC title, got injured on the third day of the match. He was batting on six runs when he felt pain while running for a single. The medical team gave him treatment on the field, and he continued to bat until the tea break.
After that, Temba was told not to continue batting, but he went against medical advice and played a brilliant knock of 66 runs to help South African side beat Australia by five wickets in the WTC Final 2025 at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground.
Read Also: Zimbabwe Test squad for series against South Africa announced
Third hamstring injury in 2 years for Temba Bavuma
Notably, Bavuma’s latest injury marks the third time in less than two years he’s been sidelined due to the hamstring issue. The Proteas captain first suffered a hamstring strain during the 2023 ODI World Cup but still went on to play in the semi-final. Later that year, he faced the same problem again during the Boxing Day Test against India.
Along with his recurring hamstring troubles, Bavuma has also battled elbow injuries. His left elbow is usually heavily strapped while playing, which shows the physical challenges he’s had to deal with recently, but he still leads the national team from the front every time.
5 uncapped players in line for Test debut for Proteas
CSA has named a fresh-looking squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against Zimbabwe, with several key players rested. Big players like Aiden Markram and Kagiso Rabada have been rested for the Zimbabwe tour.
On the other hand, fast bowler Lungi Ngidi will only be available for the second Test. The squad features five uncapped players, offering a great opportunity for new talent to shine.
South Africa Test squad for Zimbabwe tour:
Keshav Maharaj (C), David Bedingham, Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis, Corbin Bosch, Tony de Zorzi, Zubayr Hamza, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Lesego Senokwane, Prenelan Subrayen, Kwena Maphaka, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi (second Test only), Kyle Verreynne, Codi Yusuf
Read Also: Virat Kohli all set to attend India vs England Test matches? Report drops bombshell
Tagged:
South Africa National Cricket Team Keshav Maharaj Temba Bavuma ZIM vs SA Zimbabwe vs South Africa CSAAbout the Author
Rashmi Wasnik is a passionate content writer with over a decade of experience. She started her journ... Read more
