Nandre Burger Explained

Nandre Burger
Birth Date:11 August 1995
Birth Place:Krugersdorp, Gauteng, South Africa
Heightm:1.88
Batting:Left-handed
Bowling:Left-arm fast
Role:Bowling all-rounder
International:true
Internationalspan:2023–present
Country:South Africa
Testdebutdate:26 December
Testdebutyear:2023
Testdebutagainst:India
Testcap:358
Lasttestdate:3 January
Lasttestyear:2024
Lasttestagainst:India
Onet20i:true
T20idebutdate:14 December
T20idebutyear:2023
T20idebutagainst:India
T20icap:101
Odidebutdate:17 December
Odidebutyear:2023
Odidebutfor:South Africa
Odidebutagainst:India
Lastodidate:21 December
Lastodiyear:2023
Lastodiagainst:India
Odicap:149
Club1:Gauteng
Club2:Lions
Club3:Cape Town Blitz
Year3:2018
Club4:South Western Districts
Year4:2019/20
Club5:Cape Cobras
Club6:Western Province
Club7:Nelson Mandela Bay Giants
Year7:2019
Club8:Joburg Super Kings
Year8:2023
Club9:Jaffna Kings
Year9:2023
Columns:3
Column1:Test
Matches1:1
Runs1:0
Bat Avg1:0.00
100S/50S1:0/0
Top Score1:0
Deliveries1:154
Wickets1:7
Bowl Avg1:11.85
Fivefor1:0
Tenfor1:0
Best Bowling1:4/33
Catches/Stumpings1:1/–
Column2:ODI
Matches2:3
Runs2:8
Bat Avg2:8.00
100S/50S2:0/0
Top Score2:7
Deliveries2:148
Wickets2:5
Bowl Avg2:25.80
Fivefor2:0
Tenfor2:0
Best Bowling2:3/30
Catches/Stumpings2:0/–
Column3:T20I
Matches3:1
Runs3:1
Bat Avg3:1.00
100S/50S3:0/0
Top Score3:1
Deliveries3:24
Wickets3:1
Bowl Avg3:39.00
Fivefor3:0
Tenfor3:0
Best Bowling3:1/39
Catches/Stumpings3:0/–
Date:28 December
Year:2023
Source:https://www.espncricinfo.com/player/nandre-burger-971349 ESPNcricinfo
Club10:Rajasthan Royals

Nandre Burger (born 11 August 1995) is a South African cricketer who plays for the South African cricket team and Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League.[1] [2] He has described himself as an accidental cricketer as he endured a serendipitous path to cricketing journey.

Early life

Burger played tennis and squash during his teenage years before switching to cricket. He was already ranked among the top tennis players in the age-group regional tennis championships at the tender age of fifteen. He also competed in squash national championships at the age of 17. However, his squash stint was cut short due to a prolonged persistent back injury layoff and as a result he switched his focus to cricket.[3] He even developed ambitions to be playing at ATP Tour when he began seriously compromising himself about taking tennis as his career pathway.[4]

He received a full scholarship to pursue psychology major at the University of the Witwatersrandin 2014. It was at the University of the Witwatersrand, where he decided to try his luck in cricket and he earned a trial after gaining admission at the university. He was coached by Neil Levenson at his university, under whom he received guidance and learned the skillsets.[5] Neil Levenson especially worked closely with Burger to rectify technical aspects regarding alignment from the landing foot to the release point. Burger has told that cricket has always been his backup option after academics.[6] He then received an opportunity to become a net bowler for Highveld Lions in South African domestic competition.

He received his first franchise contract from Cape Cobras during the 2016–2017 season, and it was a tough pill to swallow, especially when he was faced with the dilemma of whether to complete his psychology degree or fulfill his cricket ambitions. He made the difficult decision to drop out of his degree as he decided to discontinue his higher studies and left Johannesburg immediately to move to Cape Town as his Cape Cobras contract meant he should be readily available in Cape Town.

Domestic Career

He made his first-class debut for Gauteng in the 2015–16 Sunfoil 3-Day Cup on 11 February 2016.[7] He made his T20 debut for Gauteng in the 2016-17 CSA Provincial T20 Challenge on 14 February 2016.[8] He made his List A debut for Gauteng in the 2016–17 CSA Provincial One-Day Challenge on 26 February 2017.[9]

He was the leading wicket-taker in the 2017–18 CSA Provincial One-Day Challenge tournament for Gauteng, with 19 dismissals in seven matches.[10] In July 2018, he was named in the Cricket South Africa Emerging Squad.[11] In September 2018, he was named in Gauteng's squad for the 2018 Africa T20 Cup.[12] He was the leading wicket-taker in the tournament, with eleven dismissals in six matches.[13] He joined Cape Town Blitz side as an injury replacement to Anrich Nortje for the latter stages of the 2018 Mzansi Super League.[14]

In September 2019, he was named in the squad for the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants team for the 2019 Mzansi Super League tournament.[15] In April 2021, he was named in Western Province's squad, ahead of the 2021–22 cricket season in South Africa.[16] He sustained a lumbar stress fracture which kept him out of cricket related activities for over a year until October 2022.

On 19 December 2023, he was bought by Rajasthan Royals for 50 lakh rupees to play in IPL 2024.[17]

International Career

In January 2021, he was named in South Africa's Twenty20 International (T20I) squad for their series against Pakistan.[18] Following his selection for South Africa's T20I squad against Pakistan in January 2021, Nandre Burger made his international debut in all three formats—T20I, ODI, and Test—within 13 days against India in December 2023. [19] He made his debut with figures of 3/50 and 4/33.[20]

In March 2024, he earned his first national contract from Cricket South Africa ahead of the 2024–25 season.[21] [22] In May 2024, he was named as a reserve player in South Africa’s squad for the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup tournament.[23]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Nandre Burger . 25 February 2017 . ESPN Cricinfo.
  2. Web site: Nandre Burger . 25 February 2017 . Cricket Archive.
  3. Web site: Nandre Burger: 'I didn't want to be a cricketer, it was a free way to study' . 2024-03-29 . ESPNcricinfo . en.
  4. Web site: 2024-01-01 . Swapping Roger Federer for Dale Steyn, how Nandre Burger became South Africa cricket’s ‘next big thing’ . 2024-03-29 . The Indian Express . en.
  5. Web site: 2024-03-29 . Nandre Burger unleashed one at 150kph, another at 138.5kph to Ricky Bhui. Which one got the batsman? . 2024-03-29 . The Indian Express . en.
  6. Web site: Korde . Mihir . 2024-03-28 . 'Cricket was my backup to academics' - Nandre Burger reveals how he started his cricketing journey . 2024-03-29 . CricTracker . en.
  7. Web site: Sunfoil 3-Day Cup, Cross Pool: South Western Districts v Gauteng at Oudtshoorn, Feb 11-13, 2016 . 25 February 2017 . ESPN Cricinfo.
  8. Web site: SWD vs GTG Cricket Scorecard, at Oudtshoorn, February 14, 2016 . 2024-03-29 . ESPNcricinfo . en.
  9. Web site: CSA Provincial One-Day Challenge, Cross Pool: North West v Gauteng at Potchefstroom, Feb 26, 2017 . 26 February 2017 . ESPN Cricinfo.
  10. Web site: CSA Provincial One-Day Challenge, 2017/18 Gauteng: Batting and bowling averages . 8 April 2018 . ESPN Cricinfo.
  11. Web site: De Zorzi to lead SA Emerging Squad in Sri Lanka . Cricket South Africa . 19 July 2018.
  12. Web site: Gauteng Squad . ESPN Cricinfo . 12 September 2018.
  13. Web site: Africa T20 Cup, 2018/19: Most wickets . ESPN Cricinfo . 24 September 2018.
  14. Web site: 2019-05-07 . Nandre Burger signs Cobras contract . 2024-03-29 . SA Cricketmag . en-US.
  15. Web site: MSL 2.0 announces its T20 squads . Cricket South Africa . 4 September 2019.
  16. Web site: CSA reveals Division One squads for 2021/22 . Cricket South Africa . 20 April 2021.
  17. Web site: Rajasthan Royals Six-Word Tweet After Nandre Burger Dismiss Yashasvi Jaiswal In 1st IND-SA Test Goes Viral. 27 December 2023. TimesNow.
  18. Web site: Klaasen to captain Proteas T20 squad to Pakistan . Cricket South Africa . 19 January 2021.
  19. Web site: King Kohli Makes History with 7th 2,000-Run Year, Surpasses Sangakkara’s Record. BVM Sports. 28 December 2023.
  20. Web site: The merits and menace of Burger that singed India. Cricbuzz. 29 December 2023.
  21. Web site: Burger and de Zorzi get CSA contracts; Nortje and de Kock omitted from list . 2024-03-29 . ESPNcricinfo . en.
  22. Web site: icc . 2024-03-26 . Fast bowling sensations included, wicket-keeper omitted in latest South Africa player contracts . 2024-03-29 . www.icc-cricket.com . en.
  23. Web site: South Africa Sqaud for ICC Men’s T20I World Cup . 2024-06-12 . ScoreWaves . en.