Temba Bavuma, the South Africa limited-overs captain, has been ruled out of the remainder of the ongoing series in Sri Lanka after suffering a fracture in his right thumb during the first ODI on Thursday. In his absence, Keshav Maharaj will lead the side for the second and third fixtures of the three-match ODI series.The incident took place on Wednesday when Bavuma copped a direct blow to his thumb during the 26th over of play.
He was attempting to avoid a fielder's throw-in and was struck on the right thumb. Bavuma subsequently retired hurt two overs later due to "persistent discomfort", said CSA statement. Further scans on Bavuma's thumb 'indicated a fracture' and the 31-year-old was advised to fly back home as soon as possible to consult a specialist.South Africa lost the first ODI by 14 runs. The second match is scheduled for Saturday, with the final game on Tuesday, after which the teams will play three T20Is.
