South African batter Ryan Rickelton has opened up on the whirlwind journey that led to his inclusion in the Proteas' ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 squad after being left out initially. And why he plans to lean on his Indian Premier League IPL experience as he prepares for the upcoming ICC T20 Cricket World Cup 2026,starting February 7.
Omitted from the Proteas' initial World Cup squad, Rickelton was enjoying a well-earned break at the end of the SA20, including a holiday and time at home, when he received the surprise call informing him that he had been added to South Africa's World Cup squad after Tony de Zorzi failed to recuperate from his injury on time.
While the wicketkeeper-batter's international outings in subcontinental conditions have been mixed, including a couple of ducks in ODIs in India last year, he believes his time in the IPL, where he represented Mumbai Indians, will be a crucial asset in the World Cup environment. Rickelton enjoyed a solid 2025 with the Mumbai-based side, scoring 388 runs from 14 innings, including three fifties.
