Anrich Nortje set to return to action in CSA T20 Challenge

Durban, Oct 28 South African speedster Anrich Nortje, who hasn’t featured in any competitive cricket since the Indian Premier League (IPL) in May, is set to make his return in the Cricket South Africa (CSA) T20 Challenge this weekend. The fast bowler, no longer on a national contract, has been picked up by the Durban-based Dolphins for this season’s competition and is expected to feature in their opening match against the Tuskers at Kingsmead on Saturday.

Nortje has now fully recovered from his most recent setback - a stress reaction that sidelined him from South Africa’s winter assignments. As a result, he was not included in the squads for the T20 series in Zimbabwe or the white-ball tours to Australia and England. His last appearance for South Africa came in the T20 World Cup final in June 2024.

Since then, the 30-year-old quick had been considered for a Test comeback last summer, but a fractured toe followed by a back injury derailed those plans. Nortje missed the SA20, made a brief return during the IPL - playing just two matches for the Kolkata Knight Riders - and skipped both the MLC and international cricket to focus on a lengthy rehabilitation program.

"From a personal perspective and a group perspective, it's going to be great to get back out on the park. I'm always positive, always motivated, and excited, but when you get towards the end of rehab, you want to get going because you know what is around the corner. So the last week or two have probably been more frustrating than the other months,” Nortje said in a statement issued by the Dolphins on Tuesday.

The T20 Challenge, scheduled from October 29 to November 30, will feature all eight Division 1 teams facing each other once before moving into an IPL-style playoff phase comprising an Eliminator and two Qualifiers ahead of the final. This format gives Nortje the opportunity to play up to 10 matches over the next month, though not for his home side, Eastern Province.

While Nortje hasn’t explicitly stated his intention to push for a national comeback, a strong and injury-free run in the tournament, followed by a good showing in the SA20 with Sunrisers Eastern Cape, could put him back in contention for South Africa.

"It's always been about trying to see the positives and working towards a new goal of being better than I was before, so I'm really happy where I am now, and it's all about getting out there and getting some games under my belt," he said.

The Dolphins made it to the final of last year’s CSA T20 Challenge but fell short against the Johannesburg-based Lions.

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