Imran Tahir is known for his extraordinary celebrations after taking a wicket in a game. He has retired from international cricket; However, at the age of 46, he plays franchise cricket. Imran Tahir is redefining age as just a number in sport as the leg spinner prepares to make a comeback in domestic one-day games.
Imran Tahir will return to the Dolphins for the CSA ODI Cup. The Dolphins have added an experienced campaigner to defend their title. The match is scheduled to start on Friday, 27th February against Warriors at Gkebarha.
Imran Tahir returns to ODI cricket
Imran Tahir previously featured for the Dolphins in the South African domestic circuit from 2010–11 to 2019–20. Imran Tahir’s return is crucial for the defending champions, as the team will be without seven of their top players as the Proteas travel to New Zealand for a five-match T20I series, which is scheduled to begin on March 15.
“Imran is a fantastic team player and we are really looking forward to having him in our place for the ODI Cup,” Dolphins coach Quinton Friend said in a statement. “As we lost all those players for the New Zealand tour, I thought it would be great to bring in someone like Imran with all his experience, and we’re really excited to have him in our changeroom.”
It is important that players understand the 50-over format- Quinton Dolphin
Quinton Friend is hopeful that this ODI tournament will help the players prepare for the 2027 ODI World Cup, which is to be hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. Imran Tahir will definitely not make a comeback at the international level as he will turn 48 by 2027.
Quinton said the importance of the domestic 50-over competition could not be greater, “The One Day Cup is a big competition domestically, and if you look at Cricket South Africa trying to build a squad for the World Cup next year, it is important that players understand the 50-over format.
He added, “I think it’s a fantastic format, and with that World Cup it’s really important that we can focus on the things we want to achieve as a nation in that tournament. From a CSA perspective, the ODI Cup is huge for domestic cricket and is certainly one of those competitions that everyone wants to win.”
South Africa continues to dominate the 2026 T20 World Cup
South Africa will send a second team to tour New Zealand, as most of the players participating in the 2026 T20 World Cup will not be part of the upcoming tour. The Proteas will be led by Dolphins player Keshav Maharaj. The Dolphins’ others in the touring party are Nqobani Mokoena, Otniel Baartman, Prenelon Subrayen, Ethan Bosch, Andile Simelane and Jason Smith.
South Africa are performing really well in the 2026 T20 World Cup as they are unbeaten in the tournament so far and are one step closer to the semi-finals of the competition after their recent win over West Indies.
Also read: West Indies batsmen created history against South Africa at Narendra Modi Stadium
