Elgar has scored 5146 runs in 84 Tests with 13 centuries at average of 37.28 and best of 199.
South African newspaper The Rapport stated that Elgar believes he is not part of Test coach Shukri Conrad’s long-term plans. Elgar is in good form in domestic cricket, having scored 402 runs in six innings for Titans at an average of 80.40.
“Just expect the news [of his retirement] to break soon,” Rapport quoted a source on Dean Elgar’s future.
The report further stated that Elgar was supposed to captain a second-string South Africa side in a two-Test series in New Zealand in February but that the talks between Elgar and Cricket South Africa didn’t go as smooth as envisioned.
Rapport's report also stated that Shukri Conrad is considering Neil Brand, South Africa A’s captain, as the opening batter for the series in New Zealand. And if Elgar does retire from cricket after India series, then Tony de Zorzi is likely to be Brand’s opening partner.
Notably, the 36-year-old Elgar's dissatisfaction with the lack of acknowledgment for his contributions stretches back to 2018. This predicament could be a watershed moment for the seasoned cricketer, signaling the end of his remarkable Test career.
“In my past, I haven’t been given a lot of credit for what I have done. I don’t think there is a big relationship between me and South African cricket fans. A lot of time, what I have done has been brushed under the carpet. People forget that you need cricketers like me in every team,” Elgar confessed in 2018 as quoted by The Indian Express.