Kagiso Rabada sidelined for long haul, all but out of entire Australia Tests; South Africa dealt body blow

According to reports, Kagiso Rabada is all but set to miss the entire Test series against Australia.

Updated on: Aug 30, 2026, 13:31:38 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

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South Africa are all but set to be without the leader of the bowling attack, Kagiso Rabada, for the entire home Test series against Australia after he suffered a serious hamstring injury. The speedster is facing a recovery period of up to 10 weeks after sustaining a grade-three tear in his right hamstring, Lions bowling coach Allan Donald recently revealed. The extent of the injury had not previously been made public after Cricket South Africa confirmed that the paceman’s training programme had been interrupted by a hamstring problem.

Kagiso Rabada is all but set to miss the entire Test series against Australia (AP)

The setback is particularly significant for the Proteas, given Rabada’s importance to their Test attack. South Africa are scheduled to host Australia in a three-match series beginning in Durban on October 9, followed by Tests in Gqeberha from October 18 and Cape Town from October 27.

Donald confirmed that the injury is expected to rule Rabada out of the series. “He’s going to be out for all the Aussie Tests as well,” News24 quoted him as saying.

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Rabada had been hoping to return in time to feature for the Lions against Boland in their opening four-day fixture on September 10. However, medical evaluations have reportedly shown that his rehabilitation will take considerably longer.

The 31-year-old has established himself as one of South Africa’s most prolific Test bowlers, taking 340 wickets in 73 matches. His record against Australia makes his potential absence even more concerning.

Rabada's record against Australia

Rabada was instrumental in South Africa’s most recent Test meeting with Australia, producing match figures of 9 for 110 in the 2025 World Test Championship final at Lord’s. Overall, he has claimed 58 wickets in 11 Tests against the Australians at an impressive average of 21.39.

Earlier, Proteas bowling coach Piet Botha said the team has enough resources to withstand injuries. Gerald Coetzee is among the players who could come into contention after recently returning impressive match figures of 4 for 60 for South Africa A against Bangladesh A.

There is, however, another fitness concern within the pace group. Nandre Burger continues to recover from a stress fracture in his back, adding to the uncertainty surrounding South Africa’s fast-bowling combination.

Australia will first face South Africa in a three-match ODI series, beginning at Kingsmead on September 24. The Proteas are yet to announce their squads for both series.

The Pat Cummins-led side are currently at the top of the World Test Championship (WTC) standings while South Africa are second.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

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