Is Ryan Rickelton Dropped From SA vs AUS 2nd ODI? Check His Replacement

South Africa's star wicketkeeper-batter Ryan Rickelton is not playing the second ODI match against Australia at Johannesburg. This game is historic as the Proteas are wearing Pink Jersey rather than their usual green one.

Played at one of the best cricket stadiums in the world, The Wanderers, Rickelton would have fancied himself to make a big statement after being pushed down the order in the last game. However, he is not in the playing 11 for this match.

Why Ryan Rickelton is Not Playing Today in SA vs AUS 2nd ODI?

Ryan Rickelton is not dropped from South Africa's playing 11. He has been released from the Proteas squad due to some personal reasons, as informed by Cricket South Africa's official X (formerly Twitter) account.

Rickelton, who usually bats at the top order, played at the No. 5 spot in the first ODI match. While he looked in good touch, he couldn't carry on to play a big knock and was dismissed for 27 runs by the leg-spinner Adam Zampa.

However, South Africa's batting order still looks strong even without Rickelton. Aiden Markram, who didn't play the first match at Durban, has come in as Ryan Rickelton replacement for the Johannesburg ODI.

South Africa Make Plenty of Changes

Meanwhile, there were several SA team changes for 2nd ODI vs Australia. Corbin Bosch, Gerald Coetzee, and opener Tony de Zorzi have been dropped from the playing 11 for Duan Jansen, Lizaad Williams, and Tristan Stubbs.

With the World Cup just a year away, both teams are looking to fine-tune their preparations. Both Australia and South Africa are amongst the best cricket teams in the world and will be one of the favorites to win the title next year.

South Africa are currently 1-0 ahead in this series, having won the first ODI comfortably. Hence, the SA vs AUS 2nd ODI is a must-win match for the defending 50-over world champions Australia, who will be aiming to bounce back strongly.