Ryan Rickelton: The weightlifter who became Mumbai Indians’ most valuable batsman | Cricket News
4 min readMumbaiMay 5, 2026 08:43 PM IST Neil McKenzie has known Ryan Rickelton since before either of them had heard of the IPL. What he remembers first is not a cricket shot but a weight rack. “He was a weightlifter at around 14, but like many South African kids, he was multi-skilled,” McKenzie, former South Africa batter and mentor, tells The Indian Express. “He played squash, a lot of other sports, and that helped him massively. That base of strength and core stability from weight training has helped his power and balance. He’s always been very disciplined about his training. Probably one of the fittest and strongest guys you’ll find. It all accumulates into a well-balanced athlete, and that shows in how robust he is in the middle.” That robustness has been Mumbai Indians’ one fixed point in an otherwise dissolving season. Rohit Sharma has played three matches, a hamstring keeping him out. Suryakumar Yadav has not found form. Hardik Pandya has not consistently delivered. Three wins in ten matches, playoff qualification hanging by …
