Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Apr 10: South Africa’s red-ball captain Temba Bavuma has been sidelined with an elbow injury, casting doubt over his availability just two months before the highly anticipated World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia.
Bavuma was set to return to competitive action for the Lions in the Cricket South Africa Four-Day Series final against the Titans, beginning Thursday at the Wanderers. However, he failed to arrive in Johannesburg, and it was only late Wednesday that the Lions were informed he would not be participating due to a lingering elbow issue, according to an ESPNcricinfo report.
The setback comes after a prolonged spell away from competitive cricket. Since the Champions Trophy concluded, Bavuma hasn’t taken the field in a professional match. He was included in the Lions' squad for a previous fixture against the Knights in Bloemfontein, but that match was called off without a single ball bowled.
This is not Bavuma’s first struggle with elbow trouble. In 2022, a fracture in his left elbow forced him to withdraw from South Africa’s tour of England and kept him out for three months. He later aggravated the same injury during an ODI against Ireland in Abu Dhabi while attempting a single, which led to his absence from the Test series against Bangladesh.
With the WTC final scheduled for June 11, South Africa now face a nervous wait. The Proteas will not play any international fixtures before then, as several of their key players are currently engaged in the IPL 2025 or participating in England’s county season.
This marks South Africa’s debut appearance in a World Test Championship final. Over the course of 12 Tests in the current cycle, they’ve notched up eight wins, maintaining an impressive points percentage of 69.44.
After starting the campaign with a drawn home series against India and suffering a tough clean sweep in New Zealand, the Proteas turned things around with strong away victories against West Indies and Bangladesh, followed by a dominant showing in home conditions.
Bavuma’s injury now adds a layer of uncertainty to South Africa’s preparations as they gear up for their biggest red-ball showdown in years.