His career has been plagued by recurring injuries.
The South African team have been dealt a major blow after talismanic pacer Anrich Nortje was ruled out of the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025, slated to start on February 19.
Nortje, who was picked up by defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for INR 6.5 crores ahead of the next Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) season, will miss the ICC event due to a back injury.
Notably, the fast bowler had last represented South Africa back in June 2024 during the T20 World Cup. In fact, Nortje was last seen in action on December 2 in the Abu Dhabi T10.
Still, he was included in the Champions Trophy 2025 squad with hopes of a timely recovery. However, scans on Monday (January 13) unfortunately didn’t reveal any positive results, officially ruling him out of the marquee tournament. He is now likely to be sidelined for a significant period.
This incident is just the latest in a series of injuries that have hindered Nortje’s career. Despite being regarded as one of the fastest and most skilled bowlers in cricket, he has yet to participate in an ODI World Cup. He missed the 2019 tournament due to a broken thumb and was ruled out of the 2023 edition due to a suspected stress fracture.
Cricket South Africa (CSA) hasn’t yet announced a replacement but is expected to do so in due course. It is anticipated that Gerald Coetzee is in the pipeline to get the call-up.
ALSO READ: ICC Champions Trophy 2025: All Squads and Complete List Of Players in All 8 Teams
It remains to be seen if Anrich Nortje will now recover in time to play for KKR in IPL 2025
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