South Africa suffered a double blow ahead of the three-match ODI series decider against India in Visakhapatnam on Saturday, December 6. Nandre Berger and Tony De Zorzi have been ruled out of the ODI series decider due to injuries.
Ahead of the third ODI, the Protea team manager confirmed that Nandre Berger and Tony De Zorzi had both gone for scans on Thursday morning. He stressed that whether he would be available for the ODI series decider depends on the results of his medical tests.
South Africa faces injury crisis in the decider of Vizag ODI series
“Fast bowler Nandre Berger and batsman Tony De Zorzi have gone for scans after limping off during the second ODI in Raipur. Their continued availability will be decided depending on the results,” the team manager said in the pre-match press conference on 5 December.
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Now, on Saturday, December 6, Cricket South Africa (CSA) confirmed that fast bowler Nandre Berger and batsman Tony De Zorzi have both been ruled out of the third and final ODI against India in Visakhapatnam. CSA said both players underwent scans which confirmed the seriousness of their injuries.
CSA said: “Burger experienced discomfort in the right hamstring while bowling during the second ODI on Wednesday, and De Zorzi experienced pain in the right hamstring area while batting and was unable to continue batting during the run chase. De Zorzi has also been ruled out of the upcoming T20I series against India, and will return home. No replacement has been named.”
Squad Update
Proteas men’s fast bowler Nandre Berger and batsman Tony De Zorzi have been ruled out of the third One Day International (ODI) against India on Saturday due to injuries.
Berger experienced discomfort in his right hamstring while bowling during the second ODI… pic.twitter.com/zL7wLHReXb
– Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) 6 December 2025
Earlier, they had already lost Kagiso Rabada to injury, and now this double blow has dented their chances of winning back-to-back series on Indian soil.
South Africa may have won the second ODI by four wickets to level the ongoing three-match ODI series against India in Raipur, but things started going wrong for them during the match itself. Their problems began when Nandre Berger suddenly struggled during his tenure.
The star pacer slowed down, stopped a few times and eventually walked away holding his knee. The team is particularly concerned because Berger has been struggling with a hamstring problem for some time, and has a history of serious injuries, including a long break due to a back problem.
With Kagiso Rabada already missing from the ongoing India tour and Gerald Coetzee not part of the squad, losing Berger puts a lot of pressure on their fast bowling unit.
Tony De Zorzi added to his troubles later in the match. He got injured while trying to take the second run in Raipur ODI. Even though the explosive batsman completed it, he was clearly in pain and limping heavily. He tried to continue but had to leave the field soon afterwards, making it clear that the injury was not minor.
It is being said that Ryan Rickelton is expected to replace De Zorzi in the final ODI against India. Well, Otniel Bartman is now the most likely choice to replace Berger in the Proteas XI for the ODI series decider as his bowling style is suitable for the role.
Depending on the pitch in Visakhapatnam, South Africa may also consider adding another spinner like Prenellan Subramaniam to support experienced spinners Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi.
