New Delhi ; Annerie Dercksen speaks with an ease that belies the steeliness in the South African seam-bowling allrounder. In the last few years, Annerie has gone from a fresh face to a regular figure, including winning the ICC Emerging Player of the Year award in 2024 and being a vital figure in the Proteas run to the T20 World Cup final.
Now, as South Africa take on India in a five-match T20I series starting in Durban on Friday, Annerie’s dual role will be under sharper focus. For the Proteas, back home after a difficult tour of New Zealand, the series doubles as a high-stakes rehearsal for the T20 World Cup in England.
With memories of defeat to India in the 2025 ODI World Cup final still raw, Annerie, who’s played two Tests, 24 ODIs and 31 T20Is, feels a rivalry is brewing between the tourists and hosts. “It's awesome to be back home and see our people again after quite a long time away in New Zealand. But we know that India obviously poses a big threat to us. We still remember that (ODI) World Cup not too long ago, although it's a different format.
“I don't know, but it feels like there might be a little bit of a rivalry happening there. So, we obviously know that this is great preparation for the World Cup coming up and we are really looking forward to the series and do know that it's going to be a fiercely contested one,” Annerie tells IANS in an exclusive conversation.
In the ODI World Cup, South Africa stunned India in the league stage in Visakhapatnam, powered by a Nadine de Klerk blinder. But when the lights were brightest in Navi Mumbai, India managed to edge the Proteas and lift the trophy on home soil. For Annerie, the challenge from India in T20Is is multifaceted, starting from the top.