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South Africa's 37-year-old top-order batter Rassie van der Dussen has announced his retirement from international cricket. The announcement a couple of days after Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced the list of centrally contracted players.
Here's Van der Dussen's full statement -
It is with a proud heart and a profound sense of gratitude that I announce my retirement from international cricket.
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To wear the Proteas jersey is a feat that demands a level of resilience and dedication that both tests, and reward you in the most incredible way. To have played for my country has been the greatest honour of my life.
The journey has paved with the years of sacrifice but the privilege of representing South Africa was worth every moment.
Growing up in a household of four brothers - Adriaan, Nico, CE and myself - the Proteas badge and breathed the game together, and to be the one to carry our family name onto the international stage was responsibility I was proud to embrace. I am merely a product of my environment, and of years of camaraderie, love, and pushing of greatness.
I owe a massive debt of gratitude to the Lions, and specifically to Lions current and former CEO's Jono Leaf-Wright and Greg Fredericks.
Your unwavering backing and support over the years provided the foundation upon which my international career was built. You believed in me when the road was long, and for that, I will always be grateful.
Thank you to Cricket South Africa, Enoch Nkwe, and all the Proteas coaches and managers throughout the years for affording me the platform to wear the Proteas jersey.
To my friend, Chris Cardoso; we have been friends for 22 years, and for 18 of those, you have been my agent and manager. More than that, you have been my greatest confidant. Thank you for guiding me, for advising me, and for standing squarely in my corner at every single decision-making intersection of my career. Your loyalty and wisdom have been my compass through it all.
To my wife, Lara; you have been by my side every single step of the way. You have ridden the waves of incredible highs and difficult lows with empathy, grace and strength, and you have been my biggest cheerleader, whom I could not have done this without.
To the people of South Africa and the fans; thank you. There is no feeling quite the hearing "MaThousand" called out in the streets, or the spine-tingling experience of walking out to bat at a packed Wanderers Stadium to the deafening roar of Fofofpolisiekar's Antibiotika. These moments of connection is difficult to describe, and those emotions will stay with me forever.
To my teammates, coaches, mentors, and friends; thank you for making me part of this story. Cricket has given me everything, and in many ways, I owe it my life.
Rassie van der Dussen’s career in numbers
Van der Dussen made his Test and ODI debut in 2019. He made his T20I debut in October 2018. From 18 Tests, he scored 905 runs at an average of 30.16, including six fifties. In ODIs, he scored 2,657 runs from 65 innings, averaging 50.13. He has six centuries and 17 fifties in ODIs. In T20Is, he managed to score 1,406 runs at an average of 33.47 and strike rate of 128.75. He has 10 T20I centuries to his name. His last appearance on the international stage was in T20I series against Australia in August 2025 where he scored an unbeaten 38.
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