Earlier on Saturday, ESPNcricinfo confirmed with two sources that a decision on whether Bavuma would be scouted would be made later in the day, but when asked several times whether Bavuma had opted for one, CSA management did not respond. They later issued a statement suggesting Bavuma was recovering at the team hotel in Ahmedabad on what is a rest day for South Africa.
“Proteas captain Temba Bavuma suffered a right hamstring strain during the match against Afghanistan at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday night,” CSA said. “Today he was assessed by the Proteas medical team and showed improvement overnight. He will continue to be monitored and cared for by the medical team.”
Bavuma had left the field after nine balls of the first innings against Afghanistan and returned four overs later, but limped while fielding, mainly at mid-on. He chased the balls cautiously and limped as he ran to talk to his players, but did not fire again, keeping in mind his role as leadoff hitter. If Bavuma had spent a lot of time off the field, he would have only been allowed to bat after the same amount of time had elapsed or until at least five batsmen had been dismissed, which he did not want to do as he seeks fitness. . To date, Bavuma has a top score of 35 in the tournament and scored 23 against Afghanistan.
After the match, Bavuma explained that while it was a “bit of a risk”, he did what he “thought was right” by staying on the field despite having the option to retire. While he did not know the extent of the injury at the time, he said he “should be fine” for the semi-final against Australia in Calcutta on November 16. It is understood that CSA will leave the decision on whether he plays or not. as late as possible.
If Bavuma is unable to play in the semi-final, Aiden Markram is likely to captain South Africa, as he did when Bavuma missed the England and Bangladesh matches due to illness, while Reeza Hendricks could open the batting.
South Africa is scheduled to travel to Calcutta on Sunday.
