Who is Ryan Rickelton? - The first South African wicketkeeper-batter to score century in Champions Trophy
Ryan Rickelton became the first South African to score a century in his Champions Trophy debut.
The left-handed wicketkeeper-batter from South Africa, Ryan Rickelton made headlines with his maiden ODI century against Afghanistan in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025. His brilliant knock of 103 runs off 106 balls played a huge role in helping South Africa post a huge total of 315 runs in their competition opener.
Notably, Rickelton became the first South African to achieve a century on his Champions Trophy debut and the first-ever wicketkeeper-batter from the nation to score a ton in the prestigious tournament.
Speaking of the match, the Proteas faced Afghanistan in their opening game of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi. After winning the toss, the Temba Bavuma-led side opted to bat first. However, the side had a poor start as they lost opener Tony de Zorzi cheaply.
Rickelton then took control, hammering a well-paced innings alongside captain, Bavuma. He reached his fifty in 48 balls before accelerating to a century in 101 deliveries. The innings was laced with seven boundaries and one six. His 129-run partnership with Bavuma (58 off 76 balls) helped the side go past the 300-run mark. However, his knock came to an end after being involved in a bizarre runout. Later, Rassie van der Dussen (52 off 46) and Aiden Markram (52 off 36), helped South Africa register their second-highest total in Champions Trophy history.
Meanwhile, Rickelton born on July 11, 1996, in Johannesburg, developed a passion for cricket early on. He represented Gauteng and later played for the Lions in South Africa’s domestic circuit. His performances across formats earned him a call-up to the national team, making his international debut in March 2022.
Rickelton has since made himself as a three-format player, performing brilliantly in Tests, ODIs, and T20s. In early 2025, he proved his red-ball brilliance by scoring a magnificent 259 runs in a Test match against Pakistan. The southpaw has so far featured in 10 Tests, six ODIs, and 13 T20Is.
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