Van der Dussen to captain SA in T20I tri-series against Zimbabwe and NZ

New Delhi, June 26 (IANS) Rassie van der Dussen has been appointed as South Africa’s captain for their upcoming T20I tri-series against hosts’ Zimbabwe and New Zealand, set to take place in Harare from July 14-26.

The squad also features four first-timers in Corbin Bosch, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Rubin Hermann and Senuran Muthusamy. Both Pretorius and Hermann were among the breakout stars of the 2025 SA20 tournament for Paarl Royals.

Pretorius finished as the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 397 runs at a strike rate of more than 166, including a blistering 97 off 51 balls against Sunrisers Eastern Cape. On the other hand, batting at number three, Hermann recorded 333 runs at a strike rate of 128.08 and an equally impressive average of 41.43.

Bosch, who is already capped in ODIs and Tests for South Africa, played a key role in MI Cape Town’s maiden SA20 title-winning campaign last season, taking 11 wickets in eight matches. Dewald Brevis marks his return to the T20I setup after having last featured in two matches against Australia in 2023.

Fast bowlers Nandre Burger and Gerald Coetzee are also primed to make a return to international cricket after being included in T20I squad. Burger is back in the national set-up for the first time since October after recovering from a lumbar stress fracture, while Coetzee, now fully fit following a groin injury, last played for the Proteas in November last year.

Both Burger and Coetzee are currently playing the Major League Cricket (MLC) tournament in the USA. “Lhuan-dre and Rubin have been rewarded for their outstanding domestic form in the SA20 and we’re excited to see how they adapt to the demands of international cricket. We know what Corbin has to offer at this level and we are keen to see how his Test and ODI skills will translate to the T20I arena.”

"Having three quality spin options gives us a great deal of variety, especially in conditions like Harare. Senuran has been impressive in the domestic setup and his ability to contribute with the bat adds great balance to the squad. Rassie has led the side before and brings experience to the role, while providing valuable support to the younger players on this tour," said head coach Shukri Conrad in a statement.

The tri-series also marks Conrad’s first T20I assignment since being appointed as the all-format head coach. The squad will assemble for a two-day camp at the Centre of Excellence in Pretoria from July 9-10 under the guidance of SA A head coach Wandile Gwavu, before departing for Harare on July 11.

South Africa will open the tri-series against Zimbabwe on July 14 at Harare Sports Club. Notably, New Zealand will be coached by Rob Walter, who recently served as South Africa's former white-ball coach.

"This T20I tri-series marks the start of our preparation for next year’s T20 World Cup. With several senior players rested as part of their workload management, it creates space for these players to step in and show what they can offer, and bring them into contention for World Cup selection," added Conrad.

South Africa T20I squad: Rassie van der Dussen (captain), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee, Reeza Hendricks, Rubin Hermann, George Linde, Kwena Maphaka, Senuran Muthusamy, Lungi Ngidi, Nqaba Peter, Lhuan-dré Pretorius, and Andile Simelane

--IANS

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