South Africa captain Temba Bavuma will miss his team’s two World Cup warm-up games because he is travelling home for family reasons. South Africa are due to play Afghanistan and New Zealand on September 29 and October 2 in Thiruvananthapuram and will be led by Aiden Markram.

Bavuma is expected to re-join the squad in time for South Africa’s opening match of the World Cup – against Sri Lanka in Delhi on October 7.

South Africa are already without fast bowlers Anrich Nortje and Sisanda Magala, both of whom were ruled out of the entire tournament due to injuries. Nortje has a suspected stress fracture of the back, while Magala is suffering a left knee injury.

After his unbeaten 114 against Australia in the first ODI earlier this month, Bavuma suffered a hamstring niggle but was fit to play the next two games. He then suffered an inner thigh muscle strain and was rested from the fourth ODI as a precautionary measure. He returned for the final game of the series and made a two-ball duck.

In Bavuma’s absence, Reeza Hendricks could open with Quinton de Kock in the warm-up matches in Thiruvananthapuram.