LSG put faith in Nortje's battered body

Anrich Nortje arrived for his press conference at Lucknow's Ekana Stadium on Tuesday not yet a Lucknow Super Giants player. Less than 10 minutes later, he left as one.

LSG bought Nortje for USD 220,000 at the auction, the same price as Wanindu Hasaranga. This is more than twice what Mumbai Indians paid for Quinton de Kock, but nearly 13 times less than the USD 2.8 million Kolkata Knight Riders spent on Cameron Green.

The price reflects complex factors: remaining budget, squad balance, and franchise philosophy. For Nortje, a significant consideration is his injury risk. He played only two games for KKR last IPL due to a back issue and has featured in just 13 matches overall this year. However, nine of those came in a 28-day span in November for KwaZulu-Natal Coastal.

Currently, he appears in decent form, having bowled in the upper 140 km/h range in two T20Is on South Africa's ongoing tour of India. These are his only internationals in over 17 months, following injuries and his decision to opt out of Test cricket.

"I'm just trying to focus on every game, to try and improve as much as I can. I have to be realistic, but so far I've been happy with the progress," Nortje said.

His IPL availability record is telling. Across six seasons with Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders, he has played 48 of a possible 89 matches (53.93%). For South Africa, since his 2019 debut, he has featured in only 85 of 243 games (34.98%). He has gone three years without playing in half of South Africa's matches in a calendar year.

In contrast, Kagiso Rabada has consistently featured in a majority of South Africa's games, with his body proving far more resilient.

So why would LSG invest? Because a fit and firing Anrich Nortje remains one of the most foreboding sights for opposing batters. While his IPL economy rate is a hefty 9.07 and he's never taken more than three wickets in a match, his sheer pace as he bolts to the crease is an arresting spectacle. LSG clearly believe there is life left in that athletic but often battered body.

His performance in the upcoming T20I in Lucknow will now be watched more closely by the local crowd. First, he must navigate the remainder of the India tour, the SA20 in December-January, a home series against West Indies, and the T20 World Cup in February-March.

The IPL begins on March 26—101 days away. That's enough time for much to go wrong, but also for much to go right. Nortje deserves the latter.