South Africa’s dynamic batter Ryan Rickelton has his sights firmly set on the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, with the left-hander hoping to use the upcoming T20I series against Australia as a platform to secure his spot at the top of the Proteas batting order.
The 29-year-old, who made his international debut in 2023, has made steady progress across formats for South Africa and is now eyeing consistency in the shortest format. With the Proteas set to play 11 T20Is this calendar year, Rickelton sees this phase as a crucial window to stake his claim.
“I’m still trying to establish myself in the T20I side but I don’t think there’ll be any expectation for me to change anything that I’ve been doing in these last two years,” Rickelton told reporters ahead of the series.
“It’s just an opportunity for me to hopefully claim that opening spot for this South African side, going into the World Cup and further on past that.”
Rickelton, who has earned a reputation for aggressive starts in domestic and franchise cricket, believes his natural game fits well with the team’s current blueprint.
“The way the team is structured fits the mould of how they want me to play too, so I’m pretty comfortable with what’s required,” he added. “I am always looking to land that first punch and get the side off to a good start no matter who’s alongside me at the top.”
Fresh off the high of being crowned ICC World Test Champions at Lord’s, the Proteas are now shifting gears as they prepare for a rigorous white-ball schedule. South Africa host Australia for three T20Is and three ODIs before heading to England and India later in the year – an itinerary Rickelton believes will be instrumental in fine-tuning their T20 World Cup plans.
“If you look at the fixtures lined up for the T20 World Cup, we’ve got some big competition and some big rivals,” Rickelton said. “If we can put a good foot forward and play quite well and match what we want to try and replicate in a few months’ time, especially against quality opposition, that’s really important to the team and the individuals as well.”
South Africa have not beaten Australia in a bilateral T20I series since 2016, and Rickelton sees the upcoming contests – starting July 10 in Darwin – as both a rare opportunity and a vital step toward their 2026 ambitions.
“We spoke about it as a group, we have an opportunity to try and win a series in Australia, which doesn’t come around that often,” he said. “We’re looking forward to obviously cementing our own places and playing well for South Africa.”
With competition for top-order spots intensifying and the countdown to the T20 World Cup in the sub-continent well underway, Rickelton’s performances over the coming months could prove decisive – both for him and for South Africa’s white-ball aspirations.
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