South Africa’s Test captain Temba Bavuma has once again been sidelined with a left elbow injury and will miss the domestic first-class final starting today in Johannesburg. Bavuma, who was expected to join the Lions from Cape Town on Tuesday, failed to arrive, and the team was informed only late on Wednesday that he would not be available due to the recurrence of the injury.
The setback comes less than nine weeks before the ICC World Test Championship final against Australia, scheduled for June 11. The injury affects the same elbow Bavuma fractured in 2022, which had previously ruled him out of South Africa’s tour to England. He also reinjured it during an ODI against Ireland last year, further impacting his availability for Test matches against Bangladesh.
The Lions were caught off guard by his last-minute withdrawal, especially after captain Dominic Hendricks had expressed enthusiasm earlier on Wednesday about playing alongside Bavuma in the high-stakes encounter.
Despite an injury-plagued run, Bavuma made a strong red-ball return with two centuries and four fifties across four Tests this past season. He also led South Africa to the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy, though he batted with significant strapping on his elbow throughout.
Since that tournament, Bavuma hasn’t featured in any competitive cricket. He was present with the Lions for their rain-affected final league game in Bloemfontein last week, and the domestic final was supposed to mark his season’s end.
South Africa’s WTC final preparation includes practice matches starting mid-May in England, where they’ll face international opposition. With other players involved in IPL 2025 or county cricket, Bavuma—who has no overseas commitments—was expected to be a key figure in the lead-up. His injury, however, has thrown a wrench into those plans. He was, nonetheless, recently confirmed on Cricket South Africa’s central contract list.
