Faf du Plessis has been ruled out of Northern Superchargers' first three games of the Hundred as he continues to suffer symptoms of concussions following a sickening blow to the head during the final stages of the PSL.
Du Plessis suffered the initial concussion when his head collided with his Quetta Gladiators team-mate Mohammad Hasnain's knee during a fixture against Peshawar Zalmi in Abu Dhabi in June. The injury ruled him out of the tournament and he returned to South Africa shortly after, before travelling to Croatia to quarantine ahead of the Hundred.
He had been due to captain the Superchargers in the Hundred, but Ben Stokes led in his absence during their opening fixture on Saturday night against Welsh Fire.
"The Northern Superchargers medical team have been assessing the 37-year-old since his arrival last Friday and have decided it is in the best interests of the batter to rest for the opening three games," a statement said. "They will continue to monitor his progress."
ESPNcricinfo understands that the Superchargers have lined up Dane Vilas, the Lancashire wicketkeeper, as a temporary replacement until du Plessis has recovered. Vilas was a £125,000 signing for Manchester Originals in the competition's initial draft in October 2019 but lost his deal when the end of his status as a Kolpak meant he became an overseas player, rather than a local.
Stokes will captain against Trent Rockets on Monday, with a new captain - likely to be David Willey or Chris Lynn - due to stand in against the Originals on Wednesday.
Matt Roller is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. @mroller98
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