Lungi Ngidi Ruled Out of England T20I Series with Hamstring Injury
South Africa suffered a setback ahead of their ongoing T20I series against England as pacer Lungi Ngidi has been ruled out due to a right hamstring strain. The injury occurred during a training session at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, and subsequent scans confirmed that the fast bowler would not be able to feature in the series.
The 28-year-old seamer will return home on Thursday to begin his recovery process. His absence is a blow to South Africa’s pace attack, which relies heavily on experience in English conditions. To fill the void, the selectors have named Nandre Burger as Ngidi’s replacement.
The left-arm pacer will join the squad in time for the second T20I in Manchester, boosting South Africa’s bowling options. This latest setback adds to the Proteas’ growing list of injury concerns, with spinner Keshav Maharaj also ruled out of the T20Is due to a groin injury.
The management will now have to rethink their bowling combinations to keep the series alive against a strong England side. South Africa will be hoping for a swift recovery for Ngidi, with several key international assignments coming up, including their World Test Championship 2027 campaign.