Anrich Nortje Injury Woes Hit SA

The South African cricket team has been dealt a significant blow with the injury of key players, including Anrich Nortje, who has been ruled out of the ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025 due to a back injury. Meanwhile, India's Champions Trophy squad is likely to be announced soon, with Harsha Bhogle already picking his version of the side.

South Africa's Rassie van der Dussen is also sweating on the fitness of his finger injury, which he suffered while fielding in a SA20 match. Van der Dussen was named in South Africa's Champions Trophy squad as the No. 3 batsman, but his injury could jeopardize his participation in the tournament. The incident occurred while van der Dussen was in top form, having recently scored an unbeaten 91 in a SA20 match and looking to cement his spot in the national white-ball side.

On the other hand, Harsha Bhogle has chosen the core of the ODI World Cup 2023, with some changes, for India's Champions Trophy squad. The selected players include Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill as openers, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, and Suryakumar Yadav as batters, and Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik as wicketkeepers. The all-rounder in the team is Ravindra Jadeja, while the bowling lineup includes Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Shardul Thakur.

The loss of Anrich Nortje and potential absence of Rassie van der Dussen would be a significant blow to South Africa's chances in the tournament, given their current form and experience. India, on the other hand, seems to have a strong squad, but the official announcement is still awaited.