Reeza Hendricks primed for CSA T20 Player of the Year hat-trick at Emperors Palace

Proteas opener Reeza Hendricks is bidding to win a T20 Player of the Year hat-trick at the Cricket South Africa (CSA) Awards evening at Emperors Palace on Thursday.

Hendricks has claimed the award for the past two years and enjoyed another fruitful 12 months by topping the charts with 440 runs at an average of 29.33 at a strike-rate of 136.64. It included a spectacular career-best 117 against Pakistan at Centurion. 

Tristan Stubbs is likely to be the main contender to unseat Hendricks with 266 runs at an average of 38.0 and strike-rate of 147.77. T20 specialists Quinton de Kock and Anrich Nortje are also among the contenders along with seamer Ottniel Baartman, who enjoyed a brilliant T20 World Cup in the USA and Caribbean last year. 

Meanwhile, the ODI Player of the Year award will also be hotly contested between Ryan Rickelton, Heinrich Klaasen and Lizaad Williams. After debuting against the West Indies back in 2023 already, Rickelton was given an extended run over the past 12 months in the Proteas ODI team.

The left-hander capitalised on a purple patch across formats with a maiden century against Afghanistan in the ICC Champions Trophy opener in Karachi. Overall, Rickelton belted out 318 runs at an average of 45.42 at a strike-rate of 97.24.

Klaasen’s value to the Proteas’ white-ball teams was substantial with the middle-order batter striking five successive half-centuries from the home series against Pakistan through to the ICC Champions Trophy. 

It resulted in 418 runs, at an average of 69.66, at strike-rate of 125.52. 

Williams was in excellent form before the seam bowler was struck down by injury. The 31-year-old claimed 11 wickets, which included two four-wicket hauls, in the three-match series against Ireland in Abu Dhabi.