Rabada suffers hamstring injury ahead of South Africa busy home season

South Africa's pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada has suffered a right hamstring injury during winter training that has "disrupted" his programme, although it is not yet known whether it will affect his availability this season. A Cricket South Africa statement on Friday afternoon confirmed Rabada would undergo further assessments ahead of what is set to be South Africa's biggest summer.

The international season officially starts next week, when South Africa tour Namibia for a T20I tri-series, which will also feature Zimbabwe, and three ODIs against Namibia. Rabada, along with most of the frontline attack and both captains (Temba Bavuma and Aiden Markram), was not named in the travelling squad with a view to managing his workload in a packed schedule. South Africa begin playing at home in September, when they host Australia for ODIs, followed by three Tests. Rabada will be needed for that, and other red-ball assignments against Bangladesh and England between November and January.

Rabada's last major injury was a rib concern that kept him out of South Africa's Tests against India in late 2025. South Africa went on to win that series 2-0. The last time Rabada played a Test was in Rawalpindi in October 2025 in a series South Africa drew 1-1. He has since been in action at the T20 World Cup and the IPL but did not play in the MLC or the Hundred.

South Africa's other concern has come in the A team, where international left-arm spin-bowling allrounder Senuran Muthusamy has been ruled out of the first unofficial Test against Bangladesh A with a lower back spasm. Muthusamy was part of South Africa's Test squad in the subcontinent in 2025 and could have an important role to play as they defend their World Test Championship title.