South Africa faces a major setback in their team in the ongoing tour of New Zealand as the experienced all-rounder Dané van Niekerk has been ruled out of the rest of the series after sustaining a right calf injury.
The 32-year-old had been experiencing discomfort before the first game of the series, the first Women’s T20I. It has been confirmed that the player will not feature in the rest of the series as part of the ongoing tour of New Zealand, which comprises the T20I and ODI series.
The absence of the all-rounder is a major blow for the team, especially as the player had made her return to the T20I team after a long time of four years. Dané had made her comeback in December after a long time of four years in the T20I series against Ireland and Pakistan.
In response, Cricket South Africa have called up Anneke Bosch as her replacement. Bosch brings valuable experience to the squad and will be keen to grab this opportunity. In her international career so far, she has played 49 T20I matches, scoring 910 runs and picking up eight wickets, showcasing her ability as a dependable all-round contributor.
However, Bosch’s return to the T20 format is more notable, given that she has not played this format since November 2024. She has also been part of the South African team that emerged as runners-up in the 2025 ICC Women’s ODI World Cup, which saw them lose to India in the final match of the tournament. Hence, it is expected that Bosch would rise to the challenge of filling the gap.
The series has already seen two wonderful matches in the five-match T20 series between New Zealand and South Africa. The first match of the series saw a strong performance by New Zealand, which recorded an 80-run win. However, South Africa responded well in the second match of the series, winning by 18 runs.
With three more T20Is to go, both teams will be hoping to take the upper hand in the series. The attention will then shift to the three-match ODI series. The real test for the Proteas will be how they manage to be consistent while dealing with the loss of an experienced campaigner in the coming matches. The upcoming matches will be a test of the depth of the Proteas squad.
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