Anrich Nortje

A fearsome fast bowler who has the ability to complement Kagiso Rabada in the national set-up, Anrich Nortje hogged the limelight when he went on to click the highest speed ever recorded in Indian Premier League (IPL). Playing for the Delhi Capitals in 2020, Nortje bagged 20 wickets and bowled some of the fastest deliveries ever recorded in IPL history. Nortje debuted for the Proteas in 2019 and his success on the world stage is astounding.

Having been described as an exciting prospect by none other than the great Dale Steyn, Nortje doesn’t belong from a big city and did his schooling at Brandwag High School. Nortje had a great time with the ball during his first-class debut finishing with 20 wickets in 4 first-class matches. However, it was in the shortest format that Nortje managed to make his presence felt. 

It was in late 2018 when Nortje hogged the limelight with his exceptional performance in the Mzansi Super League. He bagged 8 wickets in 3 matches before being forced to move out of the tournament owing to an ankle injury and had to undergo surgery before returning to action again. He was awarded a spot in the ODI team for the series against Sri Lanka. He played four matches and impressed with his pace. 

Nortje bagged a contract with the Kolkata Knight Riders squad for the 2019 IPL but had to eventually withdraw his name from the tournament owing to a shoulder injury. He recovered in time for the World Cup and was part of the South African squad for the quadrennial event in 2019, but broke his thumb in training ahead of the team's departure meant Nortje wasn’t part of the eventual 15-men squad. 

The South African stamped his authority during his comeback. Nortje was named as Chris Woakes’ replacement by the Delhi-based club for IPL 2020, and joined hands with his countrymen Rabada to take the franchise to their maiden final in the league. Nortje might have earned the glamour in the IPL but his international career skyrocketed much before that. 

The seamer made his international debut in the ODI format when Sri Lanka visited in 2019. Nortje bagged 8 wickets off the four matches at an average of 18.75 and his strike rate was 23.6. Later that season, the selectors rewarded him with his Test as well as his T20 debut. Just like his ODI career, Nortje’s Test career started with a bang. Having made his debut in India, he registered his maiden fifer against England at Johannesburg 2020, and finished the four-match series as the highest wicket-taker with 18 wickets at 27.11. Later in 2021, the pacer toured Pakistan to scalp two more Test five-wicket hauls. 

Since then, Nortje has become the missing piece of the South African pace-battery, complimenting his partners Rababa and Lungi Ngidi well. The Proteas management would be expecting high standards from Nortje during the World T20, to be held later in 2021, and beyond. 

(As of May 2021)