South African – Wicketkeeper Batter
Ryan Rickelton in his early 20s at present, Ryan Rickelton has been a part of Gauteng since 2015. With a terrific average of 45.75 in first-class cricket alongside his wicket-keeping skills, Rickelton has notched up five centuries in the format.
| Full Name Ryan David Rickelton | Born July 11, 1996 | Age 28y 288d |
| Batting Style Left hand Batsman | Fielding Position Wicketkeeper | Playing Role Wicketkeeper Batter |
| Education St Stithians College | Birth Place Johannesburg, Transvaal | Nationality South Africa |
Teams
Ryan Rickelton: South Africa’s Dynamic Wicketkeeper-Batter
A prodigious talent forged through diverse sports, Ryan Rickelton emerged as one of South Africa’s most promising cricket stars. Born into a sports-loving family, Rickelton’s father, Ian—a former cricketer and director of sports at St. Stithians College—nurtured his early talent, while his mother, Penny, inspired a competitive edge through her squash background . By age 14, Rickelton showcased remarkable versatility: excelling in school rugby, provincial squash, and even breaking the Gauteng Under-14 weightlifting record (snatching 61kg) .
Early Career & Influences
Rickelton’s cricket journey began under his father’s guidance, blending technical rigor with inspiration from Australian legends Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist . Their aggressive yet consistent style shaped his left-handed batting approach. By 2012, he was named Cricket South Africa’s Under-15 Player of the Year , though he missed the 2014 Under-19 World Cup, delaying his rise .
Domestic Dominance
Rickelton’s breakthrough came in the 2021-22 first-class season , finishing as the third-highest run-scorer, which earned him a Test debut against Bangladesh in April 2022 49. Despite a brief county stint at Northamptonshire (2022), where he scored 2 centuries and 4 fifties in 4 matches , an ankle injury sidelined him during South Africa’s 2022-23 Australia tour. Post-surgery, he silenced critics by smashing four centuries in five weeks for the Lions, proving his resilience .
White-Ball Mastery & International Call-Ups
In 2023, Rickelton topped the List A domestic challenge , leading to his ODI debut against West Indies . Though initial outings were modest (17 runs in 2 matches), his T20 prowess exploded in 2023-24: he became the SA20’s leading run-scorer and ranked second in CSA’s T20 Challenge with the highest strike rate (165.12) among top 12 batters 56. This earned him a spot in South Africa’s 2024 T20 World Cup squad , though he didn’t play.
Ryan Rickelton in the IPL
Ryan Rickelton earned his IPL debut with Mumbai Indians (MI) in 2025 after a stellar performance in the Betway SA20 , where he finished as the leading run-scorer . His aggressive batting and consistency in franchise T20 leagues caught MI’s attention, leading to a contract ahead of IPL 2025. Though yet to make his IPL match debut as of April 2025, Rickelton’s domestic T20 form—4 centuries in 5 weeks for the Lions and highest strike rate in CSA’s T20 Challenge (2023-24)—positions him as a key prospect .
Ryan Rickelton in Global T20/T10 Leagues
Rickelton has dominated franchise cricket globally :
- Betway SA20 (South Africa) :
- Starred for MI Cape Town in SA20 Season 2, earning the Orange Cap for most runs (2024) .
- CSA T20 Challenge :
- Second-highest run-scorer (2023-24) with the best strike rate among top 12 batters.
- County Cricket (England) :
- Scored 2 hundreds and 4 fifties in just 4 matches for Northamptonshire (2022).
- T10 Leagues :
- While not explicitly mentioned, his aggressive style suits T10 formats, common in leagues like the Abu Dhabi T10.
Style & Legacy
A dynamic wicketkeeper-batter, Rickelton combines explosive batting with sharp glovework. His ability to adapt across formats—averaging 45.75 in first-class and dominating white-ball cricket—marks him as a future cornerstone of South African cricket .
Ryan Rickelton Career Stats
Batting & Fielding
| Format | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s | Ct | St |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 10 | 17 | 2 | 616 | 259 | 41.06 | 1138 | 54.13 | 2 | 0 | 72 | 4 | 6 | 0 |
| ODIs | 9 | 9 | 0 | 335 | 103 | 37.22 | 353 | 94.90 | 1 | 1 | 33 | 6 | 9 | 2 |
| T20Is | 13 | 13 | 0 | 263 | 76 | 20.23 | 195 | 134.87 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 16 | 6 | 0 |
| FC | 65 | 107 | 11 | 4861 | 259 | 50.63 | 8575 | 56.68 | 18 | 17 | 608 | 50 | 141 | 5 |
| List A | 80 | 78 | 7 | 3281 | 169 | 46.21 | 3623 | 90.56 | 7 | 17 | 353 | 39 | 74 | 10 |
| T20s | 124 | 118 | 8 | 3262 | 103* | 29.65 | 2303 | 141.64 | 1 | 21 | 289 | 153 | 77 | 11 |
Bowling
| Format | Mat | Inns | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w | 10w |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 10 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| ODIs | 9 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| T20Is | 13 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| FC | 65 | 2 | 12 | 7 | 0 | – | – | – | 3.50 | – | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| List A | 80 | 2 | 12 | 13 | 1 | 1/7 | 1/7 | 13.00 | 6.50 | 12.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T20s | 124 | 1 | 24 | 14 | 1 | 1/14 | 1/14 | 14.00 | 3.50 | 24.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Ryan Rickelton T20 Stats
Batting & Fielding
| Tournament | Teams | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s | Ct | St |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IPL | MI | 9 | 9 | 1 | 215 | 62* | 26.87 | 147 | 146.25 | 0 | 1 | 29 | 8 | 8 | 3 |
| SA20 | MICT | 25 | 25 | 2 | 1012 | 98 | 44.00 | 622 | 162.70 | 0 | 8 | 90 | 57 | 15 | 4 |
| Major League Cricket | SEO | 6 | 6 | 1 | 225 | 103* | 45.00 | 152 | 148.02 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 12 | 3 | 0 |
| Mzansi Super League | JS | 15 | 14 | 1 | 300 | 91 | 23.07 | 257 | 116.73 | 0 | 1 | 23 | 10 | 7 | 0 |
Bowling
| Tournament | Teams | Mat | Inns | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w | 10w |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IPL | MI | 9 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| SA20 | MICT | 25 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Major League Cricket | SEO | 6 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Mzansi Super League | JS | 15 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Debut/Last Matches of Ryan Rickelton
Test Matches
Debut
South Africa vs Bangladesh at Durban – March 31 – April 04, 2022
Last
South Africa vs Pakistan at Cape Town – January 03 – 06, 2025
ODI Matches
Debut
South Africa vs West Indies at East London – March 18, 2023
Last
New Zealand vs South Africa at Lahore – March 05, 2025
T20I Matches
Debut
West Indies vs South Africa at Kingston – May 23, 2024
Last
South Africa vs Pakistan at Centurion – December 13, 2024
FC Matches
Debut
Gauteng vs Northerns at Johannesburg – November 05 – 07, 2015
Last
South Africa vs Pakistan at Cape Town – January 03 – 06, 2025
List A Matches
Debut
KZN-Inland vs Gauteng at Johannesburg – October 16, 2016
Last
New Zealand vs South Africa at Lahore – March 05, 2025
T20 Matches
Debut
Gauteng vs E. Province at Potchefstroom – September 01, 2017
Last
SRH vs MI at Hyderabad – April 23, 2025
2025 IPL TEAM
Delhi Capitals Sunrisers Hyderabad Rajasthan Royals Chennai Super kings Gujrat Titans Kolkata knight Riders Lucknow Super Giants Mumbai Indians Punjab Kings Royal Challengers Bengaluru