South African pacer Anrich Nortje was brought by Kolkata Knight Riders for a whooping INR 6.50 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction.
Anrich Nortje made his maiden IPL appearance in the 2020 edition for Delhi Capitals. In his first season, Nortje picked up 22 wickets and helped Delhi Capitals qualify for the final for the first time.
In the last season(IPL 2024), he struggled with his rhythm as he was returning to action after a lengthy injury layoff. Despite his poor performance in the 2024 season, KKR acquired him for INR 6.50 Crore in the IPL auction 2025.
While Anrich Nortje was expected to fire up the KKR’s bowling unit, the South African pacer’s participation in the IPL 2025 remains unanswered after CSA confirmed his unavailability for the Champions Trophy 2025.
Anrich Nortje has been ruled out of the rest of the SA20 2025 and the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025 with a back injury. While there was a considerable gap between the CT 2025 and IPL 2025, his availability for the cash-rich league is not yet confirmed.
A release said Nortje “underwent scans on Monday afternoon which revealed the extent of the injury. He is not expected to recover in time” to play in the Champions Trophy.
PLAYER UPDATE🗞
Proteas Men fast bowler Anrich Nortje has been ruled out of the remainder of the Betway SA20 and the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 due a back injury.
The 31-year-old, who was initially named in the Champions Trophy squad, underwent scans on Monday afternoon which… pic.twitter.com/8td2iujr0K
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) January 16, 2025
While his participation in the Indian Premier League 2025 remains doubtful, here we have listed out the probable players who can replace Anrich Nortje in IPL 2025.
Gus Atkinson
Gus Atkinson isn’t a new player for KKR. In the IPL 2024 Auction, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) roped Gus Atkinson for INR 1 crore. However, he later withdrew from the tournament to prepare for the home Test season. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) pulled Atkinson out of the tournament to manage his workload.
Jason Behrendorff
Australian left-arm pacer Jason Behrendorff is another possible replacement for Nortje in the IPL 2025. Behrendorff has played in the IPL for MI in 2023 and picked up 14 wickets in 12 matches. In BBL 2024/25, Behrendorff has picked 14 wickets in 9 matches while representing Perth Scorchers.
Riley Meredith
Another Australian fast bowler Riley Meredith can also be considered as the possible replacement for Anrich Nortje. His prior IPL experience with PBKS and MI makes him the leading contender for the replacement option. The right-arm pacer from Tasmania is capable of clocking 140 kph very consistently
