Kagiso Rabada has been ruled out of South Africa’s three-match ODI series against Australia and faces a race to recover in time for the Test series between the sides in October.
Rabada suffered a right hamstring injury 10 days ago and has been told he will be sidelined for at least another four and a half weeks. The first Test is scheduled to begin on 9 October, leaving the fast bowler with less than six weeks to regain fitness.
Cricket South Africa (CSA) has not revealed the severity of the injury but said Rabada is undergoing rehabilitation under the supervision of its medical team. “Kagiso Rabada is currently progressing through the early stages of his rehabilitation from a right hamstring injury under the close supervision of the Cricket South Africa medical team,” CSA said.
“He will miss the three-match One-Day International series against Australia, scheduled from 24-30 September. His availability for the three-match Test series against Australia will depend on how he progresses through his rehabilitation.” Reports in South Africa had raised concerns that Rabada could miss the entire Test series with a serious hamstring tear. However, CSA have not ruled him out and will make a decision closer to the series.
Rabada’s absence would be a significant blow for the Proteas. The 30-year-old was South Africa’s leading bowler in their 2025 World Test Championship final victory over Australia, taking nine wickets as they secured the title. South Africa have several pace options to cover his absence. Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen and Corbin Bosch are expected to shoulder much of the workload, with Kwena Maphaka, Dane Paterson and Wiaan Mulder also in contention.
Anrich Nortje could also come back into consideration despite not holding a central contract. The 32-year-old has not played Test cricket since March 2023 but had been in line for a return against Pakistan earlier this year before injury ruled him out. Gerald Coetzee is another possibility, with the fast bowler currently representing South Africa A against Bangladesh A.
South Africa begin their home summer with a busy schedule featuring eight Tests, making Rabada’s recovery a key concern.
