It was one of those tournaments. A player with great talent, and ability but not recognition, steps up and makes his mark on the game. This is what happened to South Africa international Rilee Rossouw, who was a surprising omission from the T20 World Cup squad that made it to the final and narrowly missed out on the trophy.
Rilee Rossouw, is the man of the moment, at least as far as T20 league cricket is concerned, as his team the Jaffna Kings emerged as champions last Sunday, defeating the Galle Marvels and registering their four trophies in the tournament. And their success came in part due to the heroics of one man: Rilee Rossouw. In this post we take a look at his stellar season and why he deserves a national call-up.
The Man Who Missed South Africa’s World T20 Squad
https://gty.im/1458149189
Cricket is a funny game. When the South African squad for the T20 World Cup was announced in late April it carried the surprising news that the prolific Proteas T20 run scorer Rilee Rossouw will not be cutting. This was a surprising decision indeed, but it was also a testament to South Africa’s batting talent. The man who technically took his place in the batting order was David Miller. David Miller, whilst a class act who has played many match-winning innings for South Africa was not in the best of form, and this showed during the tournament.
And none more evidently than in the final where Miller managed a slow 21 off 17 deliveries that included a single 4 and a six. Whilst a lot was made of the Indian bowlers in producing the win; David Miller’s performance on the day, and indeed for much of the tournament was much to be desired from the perspective of a powerful striker. And given how Rilee Rossouw blasted the opposition bowling in the LPL, with grace and confidence, he would have been a better pick. Which the South African selectors are likely to rue in hindsight.
A Slow Start to the Lanka Premier League That Sped Up
Batting for the first time in new conditions will always take time for the new batsman, no matter the talent and the pedigree. Rossouw’s first two innings for the Jaffna Kings were failures. The South African, similar to how David Miller, the overseas player he replaced for the Jaffna Kings, started last season. Managing a single each in his first two games. Things were looking tight, as Jaffna went into the next with a match down, and Rossouw’s place in the side was questioned.
However, the decision was made to stick with the South African international, and critically to play him at the crucial No. 03 spot. This proved to be the right one. In the game against Galle Marvels, chasing a competitive score of 187 in 20 overs, Rossouw coming in at one-down, took charge of the game almost instantly. From the moment he struck his first boundary, he was a different batsman, as the runs kept pilling up and in quick time. And unlike David Miller for Jaffna, last season, Rossouw didn’t stop attacking no matter the circumstances. And this worked in his favor.
Big Match Big Player: The Lanka Premier League Final 2024
In cricket, the mark of a great player is how well he performs under pressure. For those who have been following the game of cricket, one would recall great innings like Aravinda de Silva’s matching winning hundred against the Aussies in 1996, or the tremendous knock by Travis Head in the 2023 World Cup final.
For Rilee Rossouw, who had missed out on the world stage, he had the chance to prove himself at the league level. And boy did he do it. In a blistering 109 off 53, Rilee Rossouw partnering with Kusal Mendis brought the title back to Jaffna. Winning the player of the match and tournament. The South African selectors better take notice.
For More Great Content
Total Apex is an all-encompassing content producer. We provide heavily-detailed articles every day on entertainment, gaming, sports, and so much more! Check out all our great sports content Total Apex Sports. Check us out on X @TotalApexEandG and our other sites: Total Apex Entertainment, Total Apex Gaming, Total Apex Sports Bets, and Total Apex Fantasy Sports.
