Ryan Rickelton was hit on the helmet by Brad Evans before the 2026 T20 World Cup elimination
The incident took place in the fourth over of the South African chase in Delhi. Brad Evans threw a quick short ball to Ryan Rickelton. The ball rose sharply towards the batter’s head. The 29-year-old tried to play a pull shot, but he missed the ball completely.
The ball hit him hard on the front of his helmet, right on the badge area. He didn’t make a single run on that ball. After being hit, Rickelton looked shocked and a little confused for a moment. He stood still and looked uncomfortable.
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The team physio quickly ran onto the field to check if everything was okay. Rickelton took off his helmet and started rubbing his head. A small bruise was seen on the South African opener’s forehead where the impact occurred. It was a big blow, so everyone looked worried in the Proteas camp as they hunt for their first T20 World Cup 2026.
Hopefully Rickelton doesn’t show any concussion symptoms this week, otherwise he won’t be able to play in the semi-finals pic.twitter.com/Qd15yj28nX
— Werner (@Werries_) March 1, 2026
After the shock, David Miller even started to get ready, but after a few minutes Rickelton’s condition looked better. After about five minutes of checking and resting, he put his helmet back on. He indicated that he was doing well and was ready to continue hitting.
Ryan Burl shows a brilliant effort to take down Ryan Rickelton
However, after the fiery incident, the opener could only face a few overs against Zimbabwe. Brad Evans threw another short ball to Rickelton, and this time he was successful. Rickelton tried to play a pull shot. But the ball didn’t land well on the bat.
It slowed down a bit after pitching and didn’t bounce well, causing the batter to play his shot a little too early. He got through his swing before the ball properly reached him. The ball hit the toe end of his bat; As a result, he was not given proper power or control.
The ball went high towards the long-on area. Fielder Ryan Burl ran forward at first, thinking the ball would fall short. But he immediately realized that the ball went over his head and subsequently showed excellent athletic effort. Then he turned and ran back quickly.
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It was a difficult adjustment, but he kept his eyes on the ball and took a stunning catch, removing Rickelton for 31 runs off 22 balls. Currently, South Africa needs 41 runs in 49 balls to beat Zimbabwe in the Super 8 match in Delhi.
South Africa dominates Zimbabwe in World Cup matches
It is striking that South Africa has had the upper hand over Zimbabwe in the history of the World Cup. In the ODI and T20 World Cups combined, they have met four times in completed matches, with South Africa winning three of those matches.
Zimbabwe’s only World Cup win over South Africa came in the 1999 ODI World Cup in Chelmsford. That win helped Australia reach the final after their dramatic semi-final against South Africa at Edgbaston. That was one of Zimbabwe’s biggest World Cup moments to date.
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