Last Updated on 4 months by Charbel Coorey

Cricket News: Was looking forward to joining Ashwin & Chahal – Rassie van der Dussen | Rassie van der Dussen enjoying facing the spin twins at training

Rajasthan Royals have given Rassie van der Dussen the chance to make a mark throughout IPL 2022 as he is one of their important middle order options. The South African, who boasts an ODI average above 71 and T20 average just below 39, is living a dream of his to be part of the IPL.

“To play in the IPL has always been a dream of mine. Watching over the years as legendary players made their mark on one of the biggest stages, I was, and continue to be inspired,” he tweeted back on March 26 when he joined the Royals’ squad in India.

In an exclusive interview with CricBlog, he pinpointed two players whom he was most looking forward to training and playing with in the IPL. Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal, two of the Royals’ best purchases in recent years, have made an immediate impact, and van der Dussen continues to be in awe of their skill.

“Definitely the two spinners,” said van der Dussen when asked whom he was most looking forward to joining. “When I faced them recently in South Africa, it was really challenging. I thought ‘at least I don’t have to go out and face them in the middle again’.

To face those two guys in the nets, those are the guys that stood out.”

Guys in the IPL express themselves more than in international cricket – Rassie van der Dussen

Part of joining the IPL also means seeing the talent the tournament has to offer. van der Dussen has seen it first hand with the Royals, as well as in the matches he has participated in and watched. The Protea believes that the IPL provides a platform for players to play freely, compared to international cricket where they may be that additional pressure that can weigh heavily.

“International cricket has a lot of responsibility. The IPL from the start has been this spectacular stage where yes the pressure is there, but players here seem to express themselves and that’s where the entertainment comes from,” said van der Dussen.

“Having experienced it, that’s been the thing that has stood out. Yes, there is high pressure, there is big crowds, there is a lot happening around the game, but that’s why we see so many entertaining matches and players here.

“It’s a platform where guys can express themselves and show what they are about. That’s why it makes for such good viewing.”

Rassie van der Dussen shares some of his ODI batting secrets

Speaking of India’s series in South Africa earlier this year, Rassie van der Dussen excelled in the ODI series, with scores of 129*, 37* and 52. His prolific campaign took his home ODI average to over 100 at the completion of that particular series.

He faced both Ashwin and Chahal along the way, with a focus on a few key skills that he keeps in mind when batting in white-ball cricket. He had a strike rate of over 100 for the series, but it is skill, rather than big-hitting straight away, that is key for van der Dussen.

“In ODI cricket, you can afford to be a bit lower risk,” said the South African batsman. “It is similar skills to batting in the middle in T20s, but implementing it in a different way. A big thing for me in ODI cricket is to limit dot balls; keep my dot-ball percentage as low as possible. That’s something against spin I’ve worked a lot on in the past two or three years.”

van der Dussen also touched on how boundary hitting can be a skill rather than just power. This is particularly important in the middle overs, where the team needs quick runs but also preservation of wickets.

“Your lower risk boundary options; having the skill to access the part of the field with only four guys out in ODI cricket. You need to be really strong in low-risk boundary options until you find yourself in a situation where you need to go to those higher risk options, maybe from over 36 onwards if you’re in a good position,” he said.

Speaking about batting in T20s in India, van der Dussen said the key is nailing the bat angle and footwork. Having bowlers of the quality of Ashwin and Chahal allow him to practice well in the nets.

“The bat angles, the timing, those rotational shots [are key in preparing against spin]”, he said. “Your forward defence, getting your feet in the right position. You can afford to move a little bit more as it’s a little bit slower. Getting used to the pace of the wickets is key as it’s a lot easier to manoeuvre the ball.”

You can watch the full interview with Rassie van der Dussen here or below.