IND vs SA 2022: "It was not even on my mind" - Rilee Rossouw on an IPL contract following his maiden T20I hundred

South African batter Rilee Rossouw has revealed that he was not even thinking about the IPL auction on his way to a maiden T20I hundred. Rossouw stated that his priority was to bounce back off the previous two innings, which ended up being ducks.

The third T20I on Tuesday in Indore saw Rossouw become the fifth South African to score a century in the format. The southpaw remained unbeaten on 100* off 48 deliveries as the Proteas amassed 227. The tourists bowled out India for 178 to secure a consolation win.

Speaking after the 49-run win, Rossouw stated that what happens in the IPL auction is not in his control.

The 32-year-old said, as quoted by NDTV:

"The auction is not in my control. It was not even on my mind. I was just trying to get one run tonight first. It panned out pretty well for me."

When asked about the learnings from the T20I series against India, Rossouw observed that they have improved with every game by adapting well. He continued:

"In the first game, we were kind of shell shocked about how India really swung the ball. We went back to the drawing the board and thought about how we are going to approach the next two games. In the second game we learnt more and tonight we were able put up a performance together with both bat and ball."

It's worth noting that the Bloemfontein-born player was part of the IPL in 2014 and 2015, plying his trade for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. However, he played only five matches and managed 53 runs at 10.60.

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"We need to be there for him as a team" - Rilee Rossouw backs Temba Bavuma

Temba Bavuma perished for single-digit scores in all three T20s against India. (Credits: Getty)

The left-handed batter backed his captain Temba Bavuma amid his struggles with the bat, stating that it's just a matter of one knock. He added:

"I don't think it affects the team. We spoke about it. If someone is going to have a good day, they can carry weight off someone who is not in great form. It takes one knock and Temba can in the form of his life going into the World Cup.

"We need to be there for him as a team. Every professional goes through this and it is about backing him, his ability. His captaincy has been really good."

The Proteas will face India in a three-match ODI series, starting Thursday (October 6) in Lucknow.