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At the age of 37, Rassie van der Dussen has decided to close the curtains on his international cricket career for the Proteas.

"It is with a proud heart and a profound sense of gratitude that I announce my retirement from International Cricket," said Van der Dussen.

The Tshwane-born batter played 18 Tests, 71 ODIs, and 57 T20 matches for South Africa in a career that spanned almost 8 years. Van der Dussen made his international debut in a T20 match against Zimbabwe, scoring 56 from 44 balls.

In that match, he helped South Africa recover from a precarious situation at 11 for 2 in two overs. With good contributions from Faf du Plessis (34) and David Miller (39), the team posted 160 in their 20 overs, and the South African bowlers managed to bowl Zimbabwe out for 126, resulting in a 34-run victory.

In his last T20 assignment for the Proteas, he scored 38 in a losing cause against Australia.

While many would have thought, based on Van der Dussen's batting style, that he would have been a mainstay in the Proteas Test side, he only played 18 Tests, with a best of 96 against England, and he averaged 30 for South Africa.

His best format for the Proteas is arguably ODI cricket, as he averaged 50 in 71 appearances. He scored 2657 runs and ranks as the 19th highest run-scorer for South Africa. Among players with 1000 or more runs, he is one of two South Africans to average 50+, with AB de Villiers being the other.

The DP World Lions veteran's most memorable performance for the national team was the 134 against England in Durham, and one of his biggest achievements was being part of the ICC ODI team of the year in 2021.

He also had the privilege of captaining the Proteas more recently, but his not being picked for the recent T20 series against New Zealand was probably the catalyst that made him take this decision. As someone described as selfless by the CSA Director of National Teams and High Performance, Enoch Nkwe, if he was not able to contribute to a young and inexperienced Proteas side, that meant his time had come to an end in that set-up.

"Rassie's legacy in the green and gold extends beyond his on-field performances. He was a strong senior voice in the changeroom who helped drive team culture and standards, always leading by example," said Nkwe.

"He truly embodied what it meant to be a Protea. He put the team first and always supported those around him. We thank him for everything he has contributed to the badge."

At domestic level, he will probably still turn out for the Lions whenever he is available. In the Betway SA20, he is likely to play a bit longer, and in other franchise leagues.