MLC 2026: South Africa Pacer Nandre Burger Ruled Out Due to Injury
South Africa's speedy bowler Nandre Burger is unfortunately out of MLC 2026 due to a recurrence of a stress reaction in his back. Burger, who plays for the Texas Super Kings, will be stepping away from the tournament for an extended period to focus on rest and rehabilitation after scans revealed a pre-existing issue, as stated by the team.
The 30-year-old made two appearances for the Super Kings, bowling his full quota in the tournament opener against the Seattle Orcas and then taking on two overs as the first change against the San Francisco Unicorns a few days later, where he managed to snag the wicket of Finn Allen. However, the day after that match, he was replaced by Adam Milne for the third game.
This left-arm quick has had his fair share of injury troubles: back in October 2024, he was sidelined from the Ireland series potentially his ODI debut as well as the Bangladesh Tests due to a lumbar stress reaction. This same injury also kept him out of the subsequent SA20 tournament.
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Even before making his debut for South Africa, Burger faced similar back issues. In November 2021, he suffered a lower back injury that cut his domestic season short, but he managed to bounce back and return to play for Western Province nearly a year later.
Last December, he dealt with a hamstring injury that impacted his participation in the second ODI against India and ultimately ruled him out of the third ODI. He did return to play 13 matches in the IPL for the Rajasthan Royals, where he took 14 wickets at an average of 31.42, ranking joint-second in the team's wicket tally for the season. Last year, he was brought in as an injury replacement for Sandeep Sharma at RR, but unfortunately, he didn’t get a chance to play.
This latest setback is yet another frustrating chapter in Burger's injury-riddled career, with recurring back issues once again forcing him off the field. His absence is a significant loss for the Texas Super Kings in MLC 2026, and South Africa will be hoping that this left-arm pacer can make a full recovery and come back even stronger.