Imran Tahir has been known for his exceptional celebrations after picking wickets in a game. He has retired from international cricket; however, plays franchise cricket at the age of 46. Imran Tahir seems redfine the term age is just a number in sports, as the leg-spinner is set to make a comeback in one-day domestic games.
Imran Tahir will return to the Dolphins for their CSA One Day Cup. The Dolphins add the experienced campaigner to defend their title. The match is set to begin on Friday, 27th February, against the Warriors in Gqeberha.
Imran Tahir returns to one-day cricket
Imran Tahir previously featured for the Dolphins in the South African domestic circuit from 2010-11 to 2019-20. Imaran Tahir’s return is crucial for the reigning champions, as the team would be without seven of their top players as the Proteas travel to New Zealand for a five-match T20I series, which is scheduled to begin from March 15.
“Imran is a fantastic team guy, and we are really looking forward to having him in our space for the One Day Cup,” Dolphins coach Quinton Friend said in a statement. “With us losing all those players for the New Zealand tour, I thought it would be great to bring in a guy like Imran with all his experience, and we’re really excited to have him in our changeroom.”
It’s crucial that the players understand the 50-over format- Quinton Dolphin
Quinton Friend is hopeful that this One Day tournament will help the players to have preparation for the 2027 ODI World Cup, which is set to be hosted in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. Imran Tahir would definitely not make an international comeback as he would turn 48 by 2027.
Quinton said the importance of the domestic 50-over competition could not be higher, “The One Day Cup is a huge competition domestically, and if you look at how Cricket South Africa are trying to build a squad for the World Cup next year, it’s crucial that the players understand the 50-over format.
He further added, “I think it’s a fantastic format, and building up to that World Cup it’s really important that we can focus on the things we want to achieve as a nation at that tournament. From a CSA perspective, the One Day Cup is massive for domestic cricket and is definitely one of those competitions that everyone wants to win.”
South Africa is relentless in the 2026 T20 World Cup
South Africa will be sending a second team for the New Zealand tour, as most of the players featuring in the 2026 T20 World Cup will not be a part of the upcoming tour. The Proteas will be led by Keshav Maharaj, a Dolphins player himself. The others from the Dolphins in the touring party are Nqobani Mokoena, Ottneil Baartman, Prenelan Subrayen, Eathan Bosch, Andile Simelane, and Jason Smith.
South Africa has been performing really well in the 2026 T20 World Cup as they remain unbeaten in the tournament so far and have one step forward for the semi-final of the competition after their recent win over the West Indies.
Also Read: West Indies batters create history against South Africa at the Narendra Modi Stadium
