Van der Dussen to Captain South Africa in T20I Tri-Series Against Zimbabwe and New Zealand Or South Africa Names Van der Dussen Captain for T20I Tri-Series; SA20 Stars Earn Call-Ups

Rassie van der Dussen is set to lead a revamped South African squad in the upcoming T20I tri-series in Harare, featuring New Zealand and Zimbabwe. Van der Dussen's appointment as captain comes as Aiden Markram and other senior players are being rested as part of workload management strategies.

Rassie van der Dussen will lead SA in the absence of regular skipper Aiden Markram © Getty

The squad includes fresh talent, with Lhuan-dre Pretorius, the top scorer in the recent SA20 tournament, receiving his first national call-up. Corbin Bosch, already experienced in ODIs and Tests, will aim to make his T20I debut. Rubin Hermann, another SA20 standout, and Senuran Muthusamy, who has played other formats for South Africa, round out the uncapped players selected for the series.

South Africa's bowling attack is reinforced by the return of pacers Nandre Burger and Gerald Coetzee. Both have been sidelined with injuries but are now participating in MLC. Dewald Brevis is also set to make a comeback after nearly two years away from the national team.

This tri-series marks Shukri Conrad's inaugural T20I assignment as the team's all-format coach. The series begins on July 14 with South Africa facing Zimbabwe, and the final is scheduled for July 26.

According to Conrad, "This T20I tri-series is the commencement of preparations for the upcoming T20 World Cup next year. Resting senior players provides an opportunity for new players to demonstrate their capabilities and compete for World Cup selection."

Conrad further noted, "Lhuan-dre and Rubin are rewarded for their stellar domestic performance in the SA20, and we eagerly anticipate their adaptation to international cricket's demands. Corbin’s capabilities are known, and we're interested to see his Test and ODI skills translate into the T20I format."

South Africa Squad for T20I Tri-Series:

• Rassie van der Dussen (c)
• Corbin Bosch
• Dewald Brevis
• Nandre Burger
• Gerald Coetzee
• Reeza Hendricks
• Rubin Hermann
• George Linde
• Kwena Maphaka
• Senuran Muthusamy
• Lungi Ngidi
• Nqaba Peter
• Lhuan-dre Pretorius
• Andile Simelane