Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh), [India] December 16 : Ahead of the fourth T20I against India, South Africa speedster Anrich Nortje said he is focusing on improving every day. The fourth T20I of the five-match series between the two countries will be held in Lucknow on December 17.
Speaking during the pre-match press conference, Nortje said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo, "It's nice to be back, I really missed it and really enjoying my time here," Nortje said. "I'm sort of happy with the progress. There's still a lot of cricket to play. For me, it's just to try and focus game by game, day by day, and just try and get better every day but I've really been enjoying the time back and it's been great to be with the team."
"I'm happy to be here. The team's been doing unbelievably well the last year or two. There are some fresh faces, there are some old faces and guys have been sort of on the fringes for a while, are getting to play more cricket more consistently. Coming in and seeing how basic they keep things, trying to be as basic as possible, let the moment play out, assess on the park what to do. Guys are jamming really well, getting along very well, and everyone knows their role in the team. And I think that's very important," Nortje added.
When Nortje asked about the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka and his possibility to be in the South Africa squad, the speedster said, "Hopefully I can be in the squad, but if not, for me it's just to try and focus game by game, day by day, and just try and get better."
During the pre-match press conference, Nortje was told that he would be seeing a lot more of the Ekana Stadium after he was picked by the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction for his base price of Rs 2 crore.
"This is news to me. "I'll see you guys soon then. I'm very happy," Nortje said.
Meanwhile, Indian all-rounder Axar Patel was ruled out of the remaining two T20I matches of the five-match series against South Africa due to illness, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said on Monday.
The BCCI said in its statement that the star all-rounder will be with the Indian side in Lucknow and that Patel will undergo further medical assessment. In place of Axar Patel, the BCCI Men's Selection Committee named Shahbaz Ahmed as his replacement for the remaining T20I matches against South Africa in Lucknow and Ahmedabad.
The fourth T20I between India and South Africa will be held at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on December 17.
The fifth and final T20I between the two countries will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on December 19. India has a 2-1 lead in the ongoing five-match series.
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