South Africa's Rassie van der Dussen celebrates after scoring a century (100 runs) during the 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup one-day international (ODI) match between New Zealand and South Africa at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune FILE. Rassie van der Dussen seldom grabs the headlines, but he is one of the most reliable Proteas batsmen around.
Image: Indranil Mukherje /AFP
He may not always get the credit he deserves or steal headlines, but one thing about Rassie van der Dussen is that he is a consistent performer for whichever team he represents.
Van der Dussen played a big role in leading the Lions to victory at the Wanderers over the weekend, as the home side thrashed a star-studded Titans team in the CSA T20 Challenge final.
The bowlers set the tone for the Lions, as the Titans could only manage 119 all out in 19.2 overs. Lutho Sipamla was the star with a quite magnificent 4/12 in his four overs, as the top score for the Titans was the 20 made by number nine and Proteas player Gerald Coetzee.
It was a Titans team which also featured Proteas players Heinrich Klaasen , Andile Phehlukwayo, Tabraiz Shamsi. Former Proteas player now representing the Netherlands, Roelof van der Merwe also beefed up what should have been a formidable Titans outfit.
In pursuit of the small total, the Lions were reduced to 26/2 as Zubayr Hamza (20) and Reeza Hendricks (four) both made their way back to the changeroom.
Van der Dussen (44) and Connor Esterhuizen (48), however, combined to steer the Lions to an easy victory and some silverware.
In One-Day Internationals (ODIs) for the Proteas, Van der Dussen averages 49.95 at a strike-rate of 86.94. He has also scored 14 50s and six centuries in the 65 ODIs batting in the top order for his country.
In T20 Internationals (T20Is) for the Proteas, Van der Dussen has scored eight half-centuries with a top score of 94 at an average of 33 and a strike-rate of 127.
Despite these favourable numbers, Van der Dussen has a reputation for scoring slowly and taking too long to get going.
The vastly experienced 35-year-old Van der Dussen, who was not selected for the T20 World Cup earlier this year, insists he always plays according to the match situation.
“I’m happy playing a certain way and I do have a few years of experience. My stats get nit-picked and it’s been said that I don’t score enough runs in my first few balls,” said Van der Dussen.
“So I’ve had to find the balance between righting those stats and the fact that I really want to win. I will do whatever is needed to win, whatever it takes to get to the playoffs.
“People use stats in whatever way suits them, but there’s only one thing that’s always at the forefront of my mind and that’s what’s needed to win in the current situation. I love playing for the Lions and I just want them to win.”