After battling a series of injuries that limited him to just two professional matches over the past year, South African fast bowler Anrich Nortje is finally set to make his long-awaited return to mainstream cricket.
The speed gun might start ticking again, and batsmen could soon be ducking for cover from his fiery pace and bounce. Yes, Anrich Nortje is back! How well he performs after such a long layoff remains to be seen, but for now, the big news is that the Proteas’ pace spearhead has fully recovered and is ready to take the field once again.
Nortje will return to action for the Durban-based franchise Dolphins in the Cricket South Africa T20 Challenge, which begins on Wednesday. The Dolphins play their opening game on Saturday, marking Nortje’s first appearance in over five months.
His last outing came in the Indian Premier League, where he managed to feature in just two matches for Kolkata Knight Riders before injury struck again. Prior to that, he had already been sidelined for a lengthy period due to fitness issues. Apart from those two IPL games, the only other competition he played in the past year was the Abu Dhabi T10 last December.
The last time Nortje wore South Africa’s colours was nearly a year and a half ago, during the T20 World Cup final against India. He was one of South Africa’s standout performers in that tournament, playing a crucial role in their success. But since then, injuries have kept him out of all formats—his last ODI was two years ago, and his most recent Test appearance dates back almost three years.
The Proteas selectors even considered recalling him for red-ball cricket last season, but a toe injury ruled him out. As he recovered from that, a back injury struck again, continuing his frustrating run with fitness setbacks. These recurring injuries have repeatedly halted his progress—he even missed the previous edition of the SA20 League.
Now, just ahead of the new SA20 season, Nortje is finally fit and ready to bowl again. With another T20 World Cup on the horizon, his focus is on returning strongly rather than looking too far ahead. The 31-year-old speedster admits that the final stretch before returning to play has been the hardest part of his recovery.
“Both personally and as part of the team, getting back on the field is going to be amazing. I’ve always been positive, motivated, and excited, but at this final stage of rehab, I just can’t wait to get back out there because I know what’s waiting ahead. Compared to the previous months, these last two weeks have felt the longest,” Nortje said.
The month-long T20 Challenge will feature eight teams, each playing once against every other side. The final is scheduled for November 30, with each team potentially playing up to 10 matches. Nortje may not play them all as he carefully manages his workload, but every appearance will be closely monitored by the South African selectors and team management as they look toward next year’s international calendar.
