Player of the match Ryan Rickelton of MI Cape Town is interviewed during the post match presentation after their loss against Durban’s Super Giants at the Newlands on Friday. Picture: Shaun Roy / Sportzpics for SA20 MI Cape Town opener Ryan Rickelton said he was at peace with whether or not he is selected for the Proteas T20 World Cup squad, after hammering a career best 113 in a losing cause in his team’s SA20 opener against Durban’s Super Giants on Friday night. Rickelton was in sublime form as he pummelled his second T20 century, although it was unfortunately not enough ashis side fell 15 runsshort of DSG’s massive 232 run total in front of a full house at Newlands.
After the match Rickelton admitted that it had been a mixed year for him, and that heading into the game he was just focussed on trying to find some form again, having endured a difficult past few months on the subcontinent. “It’s been an up and down year. It started really nicely and then curtailed a bit now at the back end.
I had a tough white ball leg in India, and it has been a tough last couple of months mentally, obviously cricket wise and in the subcontinent as well,” explained Rickelton. “So coming in (to the SA20) I was quite nervous. I’ve been doubling down on my preparation, and I have drawn a lot of confidence from playing here at Newlands.
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I can be quite negative (when not playing well), so I tried to focus on the good things. “Also when you’re chasing 230 you don’t have a lot of time to think as well. You just have to take the game on, and that somehow brings out a nice version of me in T20 cricket.
I did have my fair share of luck (in the innings), but I was just happy to find the middle of the bat again.” Rickelton was dropped from the Proteas squad for their recentT20I series against India, after struggling in the preceding ODI series, where he went out for two ducks. With the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka coming in February next year, he knows his selection for the tournament is up in the air, but said that wasn’t part of his thinking at all, and that he was at ease with whatever happens. “I was not thinking about that at all, in all honesty.
I have kind of made peace with where I am at the moment and was just trying to find my feet again with the bat, and contribute to this team,” said Rickelton. “I am at peace with whatever happens (in terms of selection for the World Cup). Obviously this tournament is a platform for players to put their hands up.
But I am definitely not thinking about it (whether he will be picked). I just want to win this tournament with this team.” Rickelton will have another chance to impress on Sunday when MICT and DSG battle it out again in their second match of the SA20, this time up in Durban.
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