Temba Bavuma ruled out of Zimbabwe Tests

South Africa captain Temba Bavuma will miss the Test series against Zimbabwe due to the hamstring strain he suffered in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

Keshav Maharaj will serve as South Africa captain for the series, set to begin from June 28.

Temba Bavuma suffered a left hamstring strain while batting in the second inning on Day 3 of the WTC final at Lord’s last week.

The South Africa captain was on just six runs when he pulled up while completing a single.

Despite receiving treatment, media teams advised him against batting.

The right-handed batter, however, continued to bat and was dismissed after a well-made half century.

He was also involved in a match-winning partnership with Aiden Markram, who scored a century in the ultimate Test.

Read more: Temba Bavuma creates history as first undefeated WTC captain

Following their triumph in the WTC final, Temba Bavuma revealed that he turned down medical advice and continued batting after consultation with Aiden Markram.

According to reports, Temba Bavuma has not recovered from the hamstring and will undergo further scans to determine the extent of the injury.

Meanwhile, South Africa have named five uncapped players in their squad for the Zimbabwe Test series.

Senior players, including Aiden Markram and pacer Kagiso Rabada, have been rested from the entire series, while pacer Lungi Ngidi will only be available for the second Test.

This is South Africa’s first Test assignment after their triumph in the WTC final.

It is worth noting here that the latest hamstring injury is the third Temba Bavuma has sustained in less than two years.

The South Africa captain first suffered the injury during the 2023 ODI World Cup, and then during the Boxing Day Test against India the same year.