One of the most promising cricketers for South Africa, Ryan Rickelton has made a phenomenal comeback, excelling in every format he has played recently and eyes to continue his form in the Champions Trophy.
Rickelton began the year scoring a mammoth double century (259 runs) against Pakistan in the second Test at Newlands, which helped the Proteas clinch a 10-wicket win over the visitors. Then he went to the SA20 and racked up 336 runs at an average of 48 and striking at 178. His heroics helped MI Cape Town win their maiden SA20 title as the southpaw further solidified his position in the shortest format.
As South Africa gears up for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025, where they look to end their trophy drought, Rickelton turns his attention to ODIs.
So far in his short ODI career, the left-hander has scored 181 runs in 6 matches at a strike rate of 90. Ahead of the tournament, he has taken some valuable tips to fine-tune his batting from Hashim Amla, one of the finest white-ball players ever.
Amla’s Influence on Rickelton’s Batting Ahead of Champions Trophy
“I’ve worked a lot with Hashim Amla in the last few years, and he has been a phenomenal coach for me, ” Rickelton revealed in an exclusive chat with the ICC.
“He was a master of off-side play and he says sometimes when I get a bit excited, I look too leg-side. He’s always encouraging me to open up the off-side a bit more, so he always gets excited when he sees me cover drive.”
“It’s just about getting back into that mindset. I don’t think it’ll be too challenging. The wickets in Pakistan can be quite good to bat on, and they swing under lights and get skiddy. We’ll have a chat, figure that out, and get locked in,” Rickelton said.
“This ODI team has been a really difficult one to get into over the past couple of years,” Rickelton acknowledged. “Quinny retiring has opened the door for me to hopefully get a few games as the rest of the order is pretty locked in.”
South Africa’s preparation hasn’t fared well as they lost both the matches played in the Pakistan Tri-Series. South Africa will play their first match in the Champions Trophy on 21st February against Afghanistan. Having won the inaugural edition in 1998 they aim to add another title to their kitty.
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