Temba Bavuma Suffers Elbow Injury Ahead Of WTC Final

April 10, 2025: South Africa’s Test captain, Temba Bavuma, has suffered an elbow injury, preventing him from participating in the domestic first-class final that began in Johannesburg on Thursday. According to ESPN Cricinfo, Bavuma, who was expected to join his Lions team in Johannesburg from Cape Town on Tuesday, failed to arrive, with the team discovering on Wednesday that he would not be able to take part in the match.

The nature and extent of Bavuma’s injury are still unclear, with the Lions yet to receive a full assessment. This comes as a significant blow for both Bavuma and South African cricket, especially with the World Test Championship (WTC) final looming just two months away, where South Africa is set to face defending champions Australia at Lord’s in June.

This isn’t the first time Bavuma has dealt with elbow issues. He had a similar injury in 2022, which sidelined him during South Africa’s tour of England. Last year, he aggravated the same injury after a fall while completing a single during an ODI against Ireland in Abu Dhabi, resulting in him missing the Test series against Bangladesh.

Despite these setbacks, Bavuma made a strong return to form with two centuries in four Tests against Sri Lanka and several impressive fifty-plus scores. He also captained South Africa in the Champions Trophy semi-final last month, though he played with significant strapping on his elbow.

Bavuma has been absent from competitive cricket since India’s Champions Trophy victory, with his last appearance being in Bloemfontein for the Lions’ final first-class league match, which was washed out by rain.

With the clock ticking down to the WTC final, Bavuma’s injury adds to the pressure South Africa faces as they prepare to compete against Australia for the prestigious WTC mace, with the match set to begin on June 11 at Lord’s.