South Africa's Nortje ruled out of Champions Trophy

Few cricketers in the world have faced the misfortune of Anrich Nortje. Due to injury, he missed both the 2019 and 2023 ODI World Cups. Now, ahead of the Champions Trophy, injury has struck once again, and Nortje has been ruled out of the tournament.

Cricket South Africa confirmed the news through a press release, stating that Nortje underwent a scan on Monday. However, he is unlikely to recover in time to be fit for the 50-over format of the Champions Trophy.

Nortje's last international appearance was in the T20 World Cup last June, after which he has not played any matches. He was expected to return to action during the white-ball series against Pakistan, but he suffered an injury to his foot during a net session, which led to a broken finger. Since then, he has not played any matches, which also led to his absence from the South Africa T20 series.

Cricket South Africa has already announced the squad for the Champions Trophy, and the team will soon announce who will replace Nortje. Another fast bowler, Gerald Coetzee, could potentially replace him for the Champions Trophy. Although Coetzee had also been sidelined due to injury, he made his return to action during the SA T20 series.