The ace South African player, Ryan Rickelton, who usually handles the wickets and also bats, scored a tremendous century in the opener of their domestic T20 league, SA20 2026, against the Super Giants of Durban.
Ryan Rickelton’s Century in Vain As MI Cape Town Faces Losing Start in SA20 2026
The 29-year-old was suffering from a bad run of form, especially due to a disappointing tour of India during which he made two ODI appearances and did not score at all. Nevertheless, the wicketkeeper’s stunning 113 runs off just 63 balls saw MI Cape Town, the team of Mumbai Indians in SA20, take a blazing start in the 200-plus run chase that was the season opener.
Among his remarkable figures were 5 fours and 11 sixes with a scorching strike rate of 179.36. Apart from him, Jason Smith, an all-rounder, also played a stormy 14-ball 41. But the lower middle order’s weakness resulted in their defeat by just 15 runs.
Still, on a day when both teams’ bowlers conceded over 200 runs, the ex-New Zealand fast bowler Trent Boult was one of the three bowlers who made a brilliant showing with the ball. He bowled at an economy rate of 8.00 and took the wicket of his fellow countryman, Devon Conway.
Ryan Rickelton’s determination keeps him in the opening slot for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2026.
The batting keeper had a fantastic first year in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. After taking over from the former MI captain Rohit Sharma, the left-handed batter scored 388 runs in 14 matches, with a strike rate of 150.97. However, an unending period of low form brought about doubts regarding Rickelton’s opening slot for MI in the upcoming season of the league.
Additionally, the team has recently gotten back their previous opener Quinton de Kock by picking him at his base price in the IPL 2026 mini auction. Previously, the 33-year-old had a fantastic three-year run with the franchise starting from IPL 2019, scoring a total of 1,329 runs in 43 matches.
The wicketkeeper-batsman has also been in great touch since he made a comeback to international cricket. His performances include 261 runs in his last five white-ball matches against India, with an ODI century and two fifty-plus scores.
After such consistent performances, De Kock may be considered to replace Rickelton in MI’s opening plans for the IPL 2026. But after a good start in the SA20 2026, the continued form with the bat may allow him to keep his place in the MI playing XI.
Comments are closed.