Rassie van der Dussen retires from international cricket

South Africa batter Rassie van der Dussen has announced his retirement from international cricket. He took to social media to confirm the decision, recalling his journey in international cricket.

The decision means that van der Dussen, who turned 37 earlier this year, played his last game for South Africa against Australia in Carins in August 2025, the third and final T20I of the series, which the Proteas lost by two wickets with van der Dussen scoring an unbeaten 38 off 26.

His last ODI was the 2025 Champions Trophy semi-final defeat to New Zealand in Lahore, while he had not been part of South Africa’s red-ball scheme since 2022, with the Brisbane Test against Australia marking his final one.

In a social media post on Thursday morning, van der Dussen wrote: 

"It is with a proud heart and a profound sense of gratitude that I announce my retirement from international cricket. To wear the Proteas jersey is a feat that demands a level of resilience and dedication that both tests and rewards you in the most incredible way. To have played for my Country has been the greatest honour of my life."

💚🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/htGZnfLqPR

— Rassie van der Dussen (@Rassie72) April 2, 2026

A late bloomer in international cricket, van der Dussen debuted for the Proteas in a T20I against Zimbabwe in 2018 at the age of 29. He subsequently made his ODI debut against Pakistan in Gqeberha in January 2019, while his Test debut came against England in Centurion that same year. Overall, he represented South Africa in 18 Tests, 71 ODIs and 57 T20Is, amassing 4968 runs in his international career spanning seven years.

Having played domestic cricket in England, Ireland, the Netherlands, Canada and the Caribbean, van der Dussen showed early promise in red-ball cricket, scoring two half-centuries and a 98 in his debut series. However, his Test career never took off, as he played 18 Tests in three years, averaging 30.16.

It was ODI cricket in which van der Dussen thrived the most, being part of South Africa’s 2019 World Cup campaign, in which he scored three half-centuries. Since 2019, he was South Africa’s most regular No. 3, possessing the second-highest batting average behind AB de Villiers. van der Dussen amassed 2657 runs in 65 innings at No. 3, averaging 50. 13 with six centuries and 17 half-centuries.

He was also part of South Africa’s 2023 World Cup squad, scoring two centuries, including a sensational 133 off 118 in Pune against New Zealand in his team’s 190-run win.

His retirement was on the cards for some time, with the right-hander having admitted that the Champions Trophy 2025 could be his last multi-team event. He was on a hybrid contract with Cricket South Africa (CSA), but was overlooked for the 2026-27 season, having not played international cricket in the last seven months.

He will continue playing for his domestic side, the Lions, as well as franchise cricket.