Fast bowler Kagiso Rabada returned to the Proteas’ XI for Wednesday’s Cricket World Cup fixture against New Zealand at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune, India.
Rabada missed last week’s fixture against Pakistan due to injury. He replaced spinner Tabraiz Shamsi in Wednesday’s XI. New Zealand captain Tom Latham won the toss and opted to bowl first.
Opener Quinton de Kock is the currently the leading run-scorer at the 2023 Cricket World Cup. He has collected 431 runs in six innings, including three centuries. De Kock will retire from ODI cricket after this tournament.
Fast bowlers Marco Jansen, Gerald Coetzee and Rabada are South Africa’s leading wicket-takers at this World Cup with 13, 12 and 10, respectively.
South Africa currently occupy second position in the tournament’s 10-team standings, after wins over Pakistan, Bangladesh, England, Australia and Sri Lanka – and defeat to the Netherlands.
The Proteas’ next Cricket World Cup fixtures will be against India in Kolkata on 5 November and Afghanistan in Ahmedabad on 10 November.
South Africa have never reached the Cricket World Cup final. They have exited the tournament at the semi-final stage four times.
India, New Zealand and Australia are in first, third and fourth position, respectively. Ninth-placed Bangladesh and 10th-placed England have been removed from contention for a semi-final berth.
South Africa XI: Quinton de Kock, Temba Bavuma (captain), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi.
New Zealand XI: Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (captain), Glenn Phillips, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Tim Southee, Trent Boult.