Ryan Rickelton

Predominantly a red-ball cricketer known for his classical strokeplay, Ryan Rickelton is a professional South African cricketer who plays for South Africa, Mumbai Indians and MI Cape Town. A reliable wicket-keeper, Rickelton featured for the South Africa U-19 team and then went on to make his first-class debut for Gauteng in November 2015.

After notching up 351 runs in eight matches in the 2017-18 Provincial One-day Cup and 562 runs in six matches for Gauteng in the 2017-18 Sunfoil Series, he earned a call-up to the Cricket South Africa Emerging squad in July 2018. The 25-year-old gloveman received his maiden call-up from the senior national side for the T20I series against Pakistan but didn’t get an opportunity to showcase his skills in the shortest format.

Having received another call-up for the ODI series against the Netherlands in November 2021, Rickelton would be hoping to make an impact in the absence of the senior players in the South African national squad.

Rickelton’s persistence paid off when he made his Test debut against Bangladesh in March 2022, at Kingsmead, marking the start of his journey in the longest format. A year later, he earned his ODI cap against the West Indies at Buffalo Park. However, it was in 2024 and 2025 that Rickelton truly announced himself on the international stage.

His breakthrough moment came in December 2024, when he smashed his maiden Test century against Sri Lanka. This was followed by an even bigger milestone in January 2025, when he registered his first Test double century—an astounding 259 against Pakistan at Newlands, putting South Africa in a commanding position. These performances cemented his place in the Test squad and showcased his ability to dominate top bowling attacks.

Rickelton’s ODI career also took off in 2025, as he scored his maiden century in South Africa’s ICC Champions Trophy opener against Afghanistan. His 103-run knock was crucial in securing a 107-run victory and breaking the team’s six-match losing streak in ODIs.

Beyond international cricket, Rickelton made waves in franchise leagues. He starred for MI Cape Town in the SA20 League, accumulating 676 runs at an impressive average of 42.25 and a blistering strike rate of 155.76, including five half-centuries. His consistent performances caught the attention of IPL franchises, and in March 2025, he made his IPL debut for the Mumbai Indians against the Chennai Super Kings.

Reflecting on his recent successes, Rickelton described his form as one of the best phases of his career, winning the SA20 title, scoring a maiden Test double century, and registering his first ODI hundred—all within three months. With his batting prowess and wicketkeeping skills continuing to shine, Ryan Rickelton is shaping up to be a key figure in South Africa’s cricketing future across formats.

(As of May 2025)