Exclusive: Anrich Nortje Discusses South Africa’s WTC Final Chances, IPL Return with KKR and Bat-Gauge Tests

South African fast bowler Anrich Nortje hopes to be available for Test selection in the 2025-26 season. 

He took a break from the longer format in the 2024-25 season to focus on white-ball cricket but missed the ICC Champions Trophy due to a back injury.

The Indian Premier League saw him back in action for the Kolkata Knight Riders against Punjab Kings, where he took 1/23 in three overs. It was Nortje's first major appearance since the T20 World Cup 2024 final against India, where he was South Africa's highest wicket-taker with 15 wickets in nine matches.

Injury setbacks and being ready again

Although Nortje didn't play a match in the white-ball series against Pakistan due to a fractured toe, he was involved in the tournament. It helped his case as he started planning his comeback. 

"It doesn’t feel like out of competition for a long time. I was involved in the series against Pakistan and the SA20. But it is great to play one game in a competitive space again."

"I was available for December’s Test matches against Pakistan. I spoke about it and broke my toe before the first match. The mindset was ready. It was about getting the body ready. I was up for it and excited, but then, the blow came. I had to get everything in line again. If and when one such conversation happens, we will take it from there," Nortje told SportsBoom.com in an exclusive interaction.

The giant leap under Shukri Conrad

Nortje felt South Africa stands a good chance to break the ICC tournament jinx in the World Test Championship final against Australia at Lord's in June. 

The Proteas have won five out of their last seven matches at the iconic ground. 

"It is a neutral ground, and South Africa has a good record at the Lord’s. Hopefully, we can continue that. It is a young team, but an established one. The players have been in form."

"The success is due to the team contribution and not one player. It is a big opportunity for us to lift the trophy. The way they have changed in the last year or two has been superb. I think South Africa has done well under Shuks (Shukri Conrad)," added Nortje, who has 70 wickets in 19 Tests.

How to stem the flow of runs in IPL

Nortje may not play enough games this IPL season, but he has been sharing his experience with other bowlers at KKR. The man with 61 wickets in 47 matches advised bowlers to be situational to challenge the six-hitting batters. 

"When you know the situation, it makes you clear as a bowler. You plan around it, and it becomes simpler than frantic. We will not see small scores anymore, but it will be competitive when the bowlers understand how to manage the game."

"The concept of Impact Player has made a massive difference in how teams are batting. We have Moeen Ali padded up at No. 9. It becomes a long batting lineup. It was new, but it is something that has become sort of a norm now. From where it started was more of a shock, but the more you get used to it, the more you understand situations," he said.

Bat tests during an IPL match

Nortje was one of the batters whose bat failed the gauge test. He, however, supports the idea of checking bats during the match. 

"Bats have made a massive difference, and it is one of the biggest differences in how the game has changed. It’s the quality of bats. When you hit a six, you get more confidence. It is an avalanche, but yes, the better the bat, the more confidence you have in training by hitting in the areas consistently. It is good to check if it is not oversized, but when you have guys like Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, the ball will travel during the game," he said.

It remains to be seen if the speedster appears in a couple of more matches for KKR as he shares a good rapport with captain Ajinkya Rahane. 

"He is a great human being who is easy to chat with and communicate, cricket or not."