South Africa's in-form batsman Temba Bavuma will miss the first T20I against Australia at the Wanderers on Friday (February 21). Bavuma was originally a part of the squad; however, his participation was subject to attaining full fitness.
The T20I batsman sustained a hamstring strain while fielding in the third T20I between South Africa and England on February 16 (Sunday), which the Proteas went on to lose by five wickets. Eventually, they lost the series 2-1 capping off a disappointing home series. Temba Bavuma has been recommended 7 to 10 days of rest and will travel with the team under the observation of South Africa's medical staff.
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He will be available for the second T20I fixture in Port Elizabeth on Sunday (February 23), if he makes a recovery in time. No replacement has been named for Bavuma. Meanwhile, in the absence of Temba Bavuma, former skipper Faf du Plessis is likely to open the innings alongside captain Quinton de Kock. Du Plessis has previous experience of opening the innings for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL; thus, it will not be a challenging task for him.
It will be an exciting contest with Kagiso Rabada returning to action after recovering full fitness. South Africa will continue to audition for the ICC T20 World Cup which will follow later this year in Australia. With Mark Boucher confirming the return of AB de Villiers for the mega event, the Proteas will look to build the squad around his legendary batsman.
