Karachi [Pakistan], February 22: Following his match-winning performance against Afghanistan in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy, South Africa’s wicketkeeper-batter Ryan Rickelton spoke about his maiden century in the 50-over format and his emotions during the knoc
The 28-year-old left-handed batter, who scored 103 runs off 106 balls, was awarded the ‘Player of the Match’ for his contribution. He hit seven fours and a six, posting a strike rate of 97.16. Rickelton also expressed some disappointment regarding his dismissal and shared his plans to continue attacking after reaching the century.
“Was nervous coming into today, first ICC event. Was a bit edgy but happy to contribute to the team in a winning performance,” Rickelton said in the post-match presentation. “We thought the surface would be a bit tacky, but it played alright. The bounce was a bit inconsistent, but we worked our way through it. I thought we played nicely, and with the batting we had, we managed to get a competitive total on the board.”
Reflecting on his dismissal, Rickelton added, “Disappointing to get out, always, especially in that manner. I was looking to pull the trigger after that, but the guys who came in after did that and we managed to pick up a few extra boundaries.”
On his performance with the gloves, he noted, “It wasn’t the best night with the gloves, but I’ll learn from these mistakes.”
Rickelton’s century marked a historic milestone as he became the first South African player to score a century on his ICC Champions Trophy debut. He joined cricketing legends such as Herschelle Gibbs, Hashim Amla, Graeme Smith, and Jacques Kallis in the exclusive club of South Africans with centuries in the tournament.
He also became the second South African player to score a century in an ICC tournament debut, following in the footsteps of Gary Kirsten, who scored 188 against UAE during the 1996 ICC Cricket World Cup.
Rickelton’s impressive run of form continued in 2025, following a stellar start to the year. He began with a magnificent 259 against Pakistan in the Test series at Cape Town and followed it up with a standout performance in the SA20 tournament. Representing MI Cape Town, he accumulated 336 runs in eight innings, at an average of 48.00 and a strike rate of 178.72, including three fifties, becoming his team’s top run-scorer.