Who is Ryan Rickelton? Proteas batter who scored a ton vs Afghanistan

The left-handed batter from South Africa, Ryan Rickelton, continued his purple patch with the bat in 2025 as he scored his maiden ODI century against Afghanistan on Friday in Proteas’ first match in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Ryan took 101 balls to reach the three-figure mark in Karachi. His previous best was 91 against Ireland back in October 2024.   Ryan is the fifth South African overall and first South African wicket-keeper/batter to score a century in Champions Trophy.

 

He put South Africa in the driver’s seat with his 129-run partnership for the second wicket with skipper Temba Bavuma (58). 

 

 

Early life and domestic career 

Born on July 11, 1996, in Johannesburg, Ryan Rickelton developed a passion for cricket from a young age. He honed his skills in domestic competitions, playing for the Lions in South Africa’s franchise cricket system. His impressive performances in the CSA T20 Challenge, first-class cricket, and one-day tournaments earned him recognition as a dependable top-order batsman. 

 

International debut and national team journey 

Rickelton made his international debut for South Africa in March 2022, stepping into the Test squad as a middle-order batsman. His ability to play both spin and pace effectively made him a valuable asset. Over time, he has also been included in the limited-overs squads, offering depth and flexibility to the team.

 

Ryan’s mission to be a three-format player 

Ryan Rickelton, who scored 229 runs against Pakistan in a Test match earlier this year, acknowledged the challenges of excelling across formats but emphasised the importance of a consistent approach. He cited players like Travis Head and Rohit Sharma, who succeed by maintaining a similar playing style, especially in white-ball cricket. Rickelton credited South African legend Hashim Amla for refining his technique, advising him to focus more on his off-side play rather than relying on the leg side. Amla encouraged him to play cover drives and guided him with small technical adjustments during training sessions, shaping his overall game.  Ryan’s career stats in numbers: 

Format	Matches (M)	Innings (Inn)	Runs	Highest Score (HS)	Average (Avg)	Strike Rate (SR)	50s	100s	200s
Test	10	17	616	259	41.07	54.14	0	2	1
ODI	7	7	291	103	31.33	92.09	1	1	0
T20	13	13	263	76	20.23	134.88	1	0	0