In the realm of cricket, two talented South Africans, Ryan Rickelton and Rassie van der Dussen, have been going above and beyond in the current SA20 competition to establish themselves as contenders for a place in the national team before the T20 realm Cup later this year.
Rickelton is keen to make a name for himself on the international scene after being ignored during the first SA20 games. He leads the run charts with remarkable scores of 87 and 98. In the meanwhile, Rassie van der Dussen is focused on earning a spot in the T20 World Cup after showcasing his skill with an incredible 104 off 50 balls.
Rassie van der Dussen emphasized the significance of the T20 World Cup by saying, “There’s a T20 World Cup later this year and I want to be in a position to hopefully put in strong performances for that,” as reported by ESPNcricinfo.
Though he admits his recent form has not been spectacular, he is nonetheless confident in his ability despite the lack of opportunities in recent Twenty20 Internationals. But he doesn’t waver in his conviction, saying,
“I haven’t been playing for the past few series, but other guys have played pretty well. When I played against Australia the last time, I got one or two starts but didn’t really translate. I am realistic enough to admit that, while not terrible, my international T20 results over the past year or two may not have blown everyone away. I know what I can do. I’m aware of my potential as a T20 player, and maybe today is the beginning of that.”
White-ball coach Rob Walter intends to use the SA20 and other competitions to finalize the roster because the T20 World Cup is quickly approaching and there won’t be any T20Is before the West Indies tour. Van der Dussen claims that he is carefully planning his appearances.
“I have this SA20, then I am going to PSL and then we have domestic CSA T20, so it’s going to be three to four months of T20 cricket and I can really focus on that,” he stated. “As a player, your only true options are to perform well and post the numbers. I am not superior to anyone else and I am not unique. Your name has to be out there if there will be a shootout but if they will choose performances.”
Quinny (Quinton de Kock) will be moving on and Ryan fits into that: Rassie van der Dussen
Ryan Rickelton, van der Dussen’s colleague from MI Cape Town, is a direct rival. Van der Dussen thinks Rickelton has been unlucky to be left out of recent national squads and is a strong candidate to take Quinton de Kock’s spot, who may be leaving.
“Quinny (Quinton de Kock) is going to be moving on, and Ryan is someone who can step in for Quinny. He’s got the game, for sure. He’s really strong, and sometimes failures provide a springboard for success,” van der Dussen continued.
Both of the gifted hitters are concentrating on putting on excellent performances to get the selectors’ attention as the SA20 tournament progresses. These players are keen to use the current competitions as stepping stones towards donning the national colors because the T20 World Cup is quickly approaching.
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