Proteas fast bowler Anrich Nortje is managing personal expectations during this month’s T20I series against India.

Nortje’s rise has been stifled by a shoulder injury that prevented participation in this year’s Indian Premier League. A fractured hand then ruled him out of South Africa’s 2019 World Cup campaign.

The 25-year-old has collected four ODIs and will likely welcome a T20I debut in Wednesday’s second match in Mohali or Sunday’s third in Bengaluru. The series opener in Dharamsala was washed out without a delivery bowled.

‘I’ve been actually really chilled, I haven’t been too excited. I’ve learned to take the excitement down a notch,’ said Nortje.

‘I was also selected for the Sri Lanka T20 series and then I got injured, so I’m just waiting on the moment to come before getting too excited.

‘The build has been really good. I enjoyed working and chatting with everyone, especially with the bowlers and working as a unit. So there’s quite a bit of excitement to work out and play again.’

The right-arm pace ace is looking forward to playing alongside the talented Kagiso Rabada, who is among the more experienced in a squad that features four players uncapped at T20I level – Nortje, batsman Temba Bavuma, spinner Bjorn Fortuin and all-rounder George Linde.

‘It’s great to have a guy like Rabada around. He obviously has a lot of experience in India, just to try and get into his mind and what his thought patterns are and how he goes about things have been good,’ added Nortje.

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