IPL Experience the biggest learning curve for Rickelton for T20 World Cup as he makes his way in the South Africa squad.
Rickelton wants to lean on IPL experience to make most of World Cup call-up.
When Ryan Rickelton witnessed Donovan Ferreira breaking his shoulder during the SA20 during a braai at Tristan Stubbs’ house, he realised that Ferreira’s chances of making it to the T20 World Cup were in jeopardy. Rickelton was correct. He didn’t anticipate being chosen to take Ferreira’s place, though, even though he was at the top of the SA20 run records at the time.
“I said to Stubbo, there’s a call coming your way,” Rickelton said in Cape Town on Monday. And he was right again.
When word spread, Rickelton had some of his own, but Stubbs was called up in Ferreira’s place.
The news that Tony de Zorzi had not fully healed from a hamstring rupture and that Rickelton would be included in South Africa’s T20 World Cup team arrived on Rickelton’s phone three days after the social with Stubbs and MICT’s elimination from the SA20. “I actually took a short vacation before receiving a call informing me that it was ended. “You’re returning,” he remarked. And it was absolutely not what he had anticipated.
“I had planned a really nice month out here with the Lions, domestically and it’s nice to be at home. I’ve also recently moved houses, so the opportunity to be at home for a bit was quite exciting for me, but it’s always a massive honour to go to the World Cup and represent South Africa as well, so there’s no hiding from that but it’s been a bit of a mixed bag (of feelings) for me.”
Rickelton claimed to be “at peace” with his non-selection and seems to have known that he would not be a part of South Africa’s T20 World Cup ambitions as early as the SA20 opening match, where he scored the first of his two hundreds this season.
Quinton de Kock’s return, especially considering that he is also a left-handed wicketkeeper opener, virtually guaranteed Rickelton’s exclusion from the squad for the previous year’s India series. Rickelton had already been dropped from the squad after only one significant score on the winter trips to Australia and England (118 runs in five innings with a strike rate of 132.58).
Rickelton had already been dropped from the squad for last year’s India series after only one significant score on the winter trips to Australia and England (118 runs in five innings with a strike rate of 132.58), and Quinton de Kock’s comeback, especially considering that he is also a left-handed wicketkeeper opener, all but sealed Rickelton’s exclusion. Rickelton appeared to know as early as the SA20 opening match, in which he scored the first of his two hundreds this season, and he said he was “at peace” with the non-selection.
Rickelton, who struck a century in the Champions Trophy in Pakistan but has two ducks from two ODIs in India, will consider his strategy in the subcontinent.
“I probably need to lean a little bit more on my IPL experience. It was one-day cricket where I was struggling. I suppose I got a bit of experience with the IPL, with the pressure, I’m quite familiar with the ground and probably a lot of the players I’m going to come up against,” he said.