South African pacer Gerald Coetzee has suffered yet another injury setback, ruling him out of the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025 and potentially even IPL 0225 for Gujarat Titans. Hours after being named in South Africa’s ODI squad for the tri-series involving Pakistan and New Zealand, Coetzee was ruled out of the series with a tightness in his groin while bowling at the Centre of Excellence in Pretoria. Further medical assessments deemed the risk of a more significant injury too high, leading to his withdrawal from the tournaments.
Coetzee had already faced fitness concerns earlier in the SA20, where a left-hamstring injury restricted him to just one appearance.
His potential absence is a blow to Gujarat Titans (GT) as they look ahead to IPL 2025 with his recovery time frame likely to push the IPL franchise to search for replacements. Alongside Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, Coetzee was expected to be one of the pacers in Gujarat Titans’ starting XI in IPL 2025. His unavailability means the franchise will have to explore possible replacements. Here are five pacers GT can consider if Coetzee is ruled out of the IPL season.
Zimbabwean pacer Blessing Muzarabani has been in excellent form in the ILT20 in the UAE, where he has taken 16 wickets in 10 matches for Gulf Giants at an impressive economy rate of 6.64. His tall frame and ability to hit the hard lengths make him an exciting pace option, particularly through the middle overs as an enforcer.
Muzarabani is yet to feature in the IPL, but he was a net bowler for Lucknow Super Giants in 2022. Given his recent performances and ability to generate bounce, he could be a strong contender to replace Coetzee at GT.
New Zealand’s Kyle Jamieson offers a similar tall, hit-the-deck style of bowling as Coetzee. Injuries have hampered his career in the past, but he is now fit and in good rhythm. In the ongoing Super Smash tournament in New Zealand, Jamieson has picked up 14 wickets in 12 games at a remarkable economy rate of 5.95.
His experience of playing in the IPL with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) gives him an edge. If GT wants a bowler with international pedigree and IPL exposure, Jamieson could be a smart choice.
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An experienced T20 campaigner, Jason Behrendorff has been a reliable performer in the shortest format. The left-arm pacer is known for his ability to swing the ball early on and bowl effectively at the death with his variations.
Behrendorff has played 168 T20 matches, picking up 203 wickets at an economy rate of 7.60. Having played for Mumbai Indians and other franchises in the IPL, he understands the conditions well and could be a handy replacement for Coetzee.
Afghanistan’s Naveen-ul-Haq is a clever T20 bowler with the ability to move the new ball and execute deceptive slower deliveries. He has had success in the IPL, taking 25 wickets in 18 matches for Lucknow Super Giants at an economy of 9.16.
With experience in global T20 leagues and a knack for picking up wickets at crucial junctures, Naveen could be a valuable addition to Gujarat Titans’ pace attack. His ability to bowl in different phases of the innings makes him a viable candidate to replace Coetzee.
Shardul Thakur has been in the limelight recently, making history by securing a hat-trick for Mumbai in domestic cricket. In the ongoing Ranji Trophy season, Thakur has been contributing significantly with both bat and ball, having taken 20 wickets and scored 297 runs, including a century and two half-centuries.
While Thakur is not a direct like-for-like replacement for Coetzee in terms of raw pace, his ability to bowl attacking spells and contribute valuable lower-order runs makes him an interesting option for GT. He has plenty of IPL experience and could bring balance to the squad that they might be seeking.
Each of these above pacers offers something unique. If Gujarat Titans wants a tall, hit-the-deck bowler similar to Coetzee, Muzarabani or Jamieson would be ideal choices. If experience and new ball pedigree is something that is the priority, Behrendorff and Shardul Thakur provide solid options. Naveen-ul-Haq, on the other hand, brings versatility and smart T20 bowling skills to the table. Thakur has an advantage in that he is among the only few pace-bowling all-rounders available as backup.
With the IPL season approaching, GT will need to finalize a replacement soon if Coetzee is unavailable. Given the options available, the defending champions will have several quality choices to consider as they look to maintain their strong bowling attack in IPL 2025.
Rashid Khan, Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Jos Buttler, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Nishant Sindhu, Mahipal Lomror, Kumar Kushagra, Anuj Rawat, Manav Suthar, Washington Sundar, Gerald Coetzee (doubtful), Arshad Khan, Gurnoor Brar, Sherfane Rutherford, Sai Kishore, Ishant Sharma, Jayant Yadav, Glenn Phillips, Karim Janat, Kulwant Khejroliya.
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