South Africa’s red-ball captain Temba Bavuma has been ruled out of the upcoming two-match Test series against Zimbabwe due to a left hamstring strain, sustained during his match-defining 66-runs knock in the World Test Championship (WTC) final victory over Australia at Lord’s last week.
Cricket South Africa confirmed that Bavuma, who pulled up while completing a run on Day 3 of the final, will undergo further scans to assess the extent of the injury. Despite medical advice, the determined skipper continued batting when his score was ‘six runs’ and pushed South Africa through to a historic five-wicket win, clinching their maiden WTC title and an ICC trophy 27 years.
In Bavuma’s absence, Keshav Maharaj has been named as a stand-in captain for the Test series, which will be played in Bulawayo from June 28 to July 10. These matches are not part of the WTC 2027 cycle as Zimbabwe are not included in the current edition.
Temba Bavuma’s Test Career (2014 – Present)
| Matches | Runs | Average | 100s/50s | Highest Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 65 | 3,442 | 38.23 | 2/23 | 172* |
South Africa Test Squad vs Zimbabwe 2025
Keshav Maharaj, David Bedingham, Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis, Corbin Bosch, Tony de Zorzi, Zubayr Hamza, Kwena Maphaka, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Lhuan-dré Pretorius, Lesego Senokwane, Prenelan Subrayen, Kyle Verreynne, Codi Yusuf.
The squad includes five uncapped players: Brevis, Pretorius, Yusuf, Senokwane, and Subrayen. Notably, Aiden Markram, Kagiso Rabada, and other multi-format stars have been rested ahead of a busy international calendar.
After concluding the Test series against Zimbabwe, South Africa will gear up to face Australia in ODIs in August, followed by one ODI series against England in the next month. The next WTC cycle for South Africa will kick off while facing Pakistan in upcoming October, just before clashes against India in November. South Africa will play at the overseas grounds before October 2026 as they will welcome Australia the next year. According to sources, Bavuma has intention to play till ODI World Cup 2027 if his fitness stays intact.
