Champions Trophy: Rassie van der Dussen Hints At Retirement, Calls CT His “Last ICC Tournament”

February 28, 2025: Ahead of South Africa’s crucial clash against England in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Rassie van der Dussen opened up about the possibility that this might be the last major ICC tournament of his career. The Proteas will face Jos Buttler’s side in their final group stage match at the National Stadium in Karachi on Saturday.

“It’s definitely a possibility that it’s my last ICC tournament. I’m not saying that with any preconceived ideas that I’ll call time on it, or management will call time on my career. It’s just the reality,” van der Dussen said during a pre-match interaction with the media, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

The 36-year-old right-hand batter admitted that representing South Africa has always been his ultimate goal and that he is uncertain about his future in cricket once his international career comes to an end. “My ultimate goal has always been to play for the Proteas. People are asking me, ‘Are you going to play leagues afterwards?’ I don’t know. I don’t know if the prospect of not playing for the Proteas will have that same hunger to play in the leagues. Representing my country has always been one of my big and only goals, so if that falls away, I’m not sure what I’m going to do,” he added.

Van der Dussen also emphasized that if offered another contract, he would gladly commit to it, but hinted that his focus remains on the South African team, and he has no plans yet to think beyond that.

In his comments, van der Dussen also praised the emerging young talent within the team, highlighting the impact of players like Tristan Stubbs, Tony de Zorzi, and Matthew Breetzke. “It’s such a great thing that there’s so many young players coming through, guys really playing well. A guy like Tristan Stubbs, he’s sitting on the sidelines. Or Tony de Zorzi. And even if you go into the domestic structure, Matthew Breetzke came in and made that 150. You can even go further back; Lhuan-dre Pretorius just made a hundred against Western Province in the one-day cup. Ryan [Rickelton] is only starting out now actually, so there’s so many good players,” van der Dussen said.

Breetzke recently made history in the ODI Tri-Series against New Zealand and Pakistan, becoming the first batter to score 150 runs on his ODI debut. His achievement broke the long-standing record set by former West Indies cricketer Desmond Haynes, who scored 148 runs on his debut against Australia in 1978.

Meanwhile, Rickelton’s remarkable form continued in 2025 as he became the first South African player to score a century on his ICC Champions Trophy debut. He accomplished this feat in South Africa’s opening match against Afghanistan in Karachi.

South Africa’s qualification for the semi-finals hinges on their performance in this last group-stage match. A win against England will ensure their progression. However, they still have a chance to qualify even if they lose to England, provided Australia defeats Afghanistan. In the event of an England win and an Afghanistan victory, South Africa will find themselves in a tight net run rate (NRR) contest with Australia, depending on the final results of both teams.

The Proteas will be looking to van der Dussen and his experience to guide them through this crucial match and keep their hopes alive in the tournament.