South Africa's World Cup preparations take a hit as skipper Bavuma returns home

South Africa faced a setback on Thursday when their ODI captain, Temba Bavuma, had to return home from India due to personal reasons just before the team's two warm-up games for the ICC Cricket World Cup.

The Proteas have scheduled matches against Afghanistan and New Zealand for their first and second warm-up games on September 29 and October 2, respectively. According to an update on South Africa cricket's social media platforms, Bavuma has returned to South Africa due to personal reasons.

In Bavuma's absence, T20I captain Aiden Markram will lead the team in the two warm-up matches. However, Bavuma is expected to rejoin the team before their opening game. South Africa will kick off their World Cup campaign against Sri Lanka in New Delhi on October 7.