IPL 2021: Decoding the journey of South Africa's Gerald Coetzee
In a major development, Rajasthan Royals have roped in South African fast bowler Gerald Coetzee as a replacement for Liam Livingstone. England all-rounder Livingstone returned home from the IPL, citing bubble fatigue, leaving RR with just four overseas players. The 20-year-old Coetzee will bolster the bowling attack of RR, which appears to be bleak presently. We decode the journey of Coetzee in competitive cricket.
Coetzee starred in the 2018 Under-19 WC for SA
Hailing from South Africa, Coetzee first made his presence felt in the 2018 Under-19 World Cup. He delivered one of the best spells of the tournament, taking a five-for against New Zealand (5/32). In October 2018, Coetzee made his List A debut for Free State in the CSA Provincial One-Day Challenge. He finished with 10 wickets, and also registered a match haul of 5/33.
Coetze made his T20 and First-class debut in 2019
In January 2019, Coetzee was included in the South Africa national Under-19 squad. He made his T20 debut for Knights in the 2019 CSA T20 Challenge in April. Coetzee picked up five wickets at an average of 21.80 in the tournament. Months later, he made his First-class debut for Knights in the 2019/20 CSA 4-Day Franchise Series.
He featured in the 2020 U-19 WC
Yet again, Coetzee was named in South Africa's squad for the 2020 Under-19 Cricket World Cup. He couldn't make much impact, with SA winning only two matches in that edition. However, he showcased his propensity to bat, having played some handy knocks. Coetzee recently played for the Knights in the 2021 Momentum One Day Cup and CSA T20 Challenge.
A look at his stats in domestic cricket
So far, Coetzee has accounted for 24 wickets in six FC games at an average of 24.25. The tally includes 2 four-wicket hauls and a best match haul of 6/91. He also has 10 List A and nine T20 wickets to his name. Moreover, Coetzee has scored 162 runs in FC cricket at 27.00. He also owns a 50+ score.
Coetzee trained with the RR squad on Saturday
As per reports, Coetzee has landed in India to take part in the IPL 2021. He has finished his quarantine, and trained with the Royals squad on Saturday. The right-arm pacer is now just the fifth player in Rajasthan's overseas roster besides Jos Buttler, David Miller, Chris Morris, and Mustafizur Rahman. It will be interesting to see if he plays against Sunrisers Hyderabad today.
