IPL 2025 | Gill’s clarity and decision-making as captain are excellent: GT’s Coetzee

Gerald Coetzee, a rising South African fast bowler, draws inspiration from Dale Steyn while making his mark in cricket.

There is a shade of Dale Steyn in Gerald Coetzee’s wicket-taking celebrations — fiery eyes, raised fists and bulging veins.

As a tearaway speedster from South Africa, the 24-year-old naturally looks up to the fast-bowling great while seeking to carve his own identity in his country’s pace pantheon.

Coetzee enjoyed an impressive initiation to his international career in 2023. At the ODI World Cup in India, he was South Africa’s leading wicket-taker with 20 scalps in eight matches in his team’s run to the semifinals.

But in recent months, his progress has slowed down owing to groin and hamstring troubles that made him miss a vast chunk of cricket in the South African summer.

His comeback from injury has been via this year’s IPL, where he has played three matches for Gujarat Titans.

“Yeah, injury is always frustrating. But it is part of the game. If you look at most fast bowlers who bowl 145kph-plus on the circuit today, they all struggle. So some frustration, but also understanding the journey of a fast bowler. Hopefully, I’ve many more years of cricket left,” Coetzee said during a virtual media interaction on Tuesday.

At Titans, Coetzee is playing under skipper Shubman Gill, someone that the speedster first noticed when they were playing for their respective countries in the 2018 U-19 World Cup in New Zealand. Gill, of course, is also India’s new Test captain.