With South Africa’s T20 World Cup team all set to be announced this week, Rickelton ensured that his case with a 63-ball 113 in the SA20 2026 opener but acknowledged he might still miss out.
Rickelton didn’t get a chance to bat in Sunday’s match against the Durban Super Giants due to inclement weather.
“I am just trying to find my feet again with the bat and contribute. I am at peace with whatever happens. Obviously, this tournament is a platform for players to put their hands up, but I am definitely not thinking about it [the World Cup],” Rickelton said while speaking to ESPNCricinfo.
“I am just trying to enjoy the game again, which maybe when you aren’t finding [a spot in the XI] in India, can be quite hard,” Rickelton added.
The star wicketkeeper endured a challenging subcontinent tour, highlighted by a 71 in the first innings of the first Test against Pakistan in Lahore. He couldn’t score fifty in his next seven Test innings, was rested for the white-ball leg of the Pakistan tour and registered successful ducks in two ODIs against India.
This was a stark contrast to Rickelton’s strong start in 2025, which included a double hundred in the New Year’s Test against Pakistan, finishing as the fourth-highest run-scorer in the third SA20 edition and scoring his maiden ODI hundred against Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy.
“It has been an up-and-down year. It started really nicely, but at the back end, I had a tough white ball leg in India. It was a tough last couple of months mentally. I can be quite negative and sometimes in cricket, we dive into our heads very easily and it is tough to get away,” Rickelton said.
