South African Rossouw signs on for BBL|10

South African Rilee Rossouw has joined the Melbourne Renegades for the upcoming KFC BBL season, boosting a dynamic batting line-up that already includes Australia's T20 skipper Aaron Finch and in-form veteran Shaun Marsh.

Rossouw, who signed off from international cricket four years ago with a one-day hundred against Australia, was today unveiled as the Renegades' third international signing, joining countryman Imran Tahir and Afghan allrounder Mohammad Nabi.

Young Afghan spinner Noor Ahmad will fill in for Tahir in the early rounds of the competition until the South African becomes available after Christmas.

Rossouw, who will be available for the whole tournament, is the club's 19th and final signing for BBL|10.

Batting at No.5, the left-hander slammed a 44-ball hundred in the Pakistan Super League earlier this year and looks set to bolster the Gades' middle order this season alongside big hitter Beau Webster, who enjoyed a breakout campaign last summer.

"The Big Bash has been a high-quality competition for a long time now, so I'm very excited to get the opportunity to play in such a competitive league," Rossouw said.

"I've enjoyed playing in Australian conditions before so I'm looking forward to heading over there and helping the Renegades have a successful season."

Rossouw made his international debut in 2014, scoring a 50-ball innings of 78 in his first T20, against Australia in Adelaide.

In 2017, he joined the South African influx to English county cricket, signing a Kolpak deal with Hampshire that essentially ended his career with the Proteas.

He scored more than 1500 runs for South Africa between 2014 and 2016, including three ODI hundreds.

Now 31, he has played 199 T20 games in his career and taken part in T20 leagues in Pakistan, Bangladesh, South Africa and England as well as the T10 league in the UAE.

He was ruled out of this year’s Caribbean Premier League due to travel restrictions on South Africans.

He’s currently in Pakistan for the finals of the Pakistan Super League, which was cut short in March due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Rossouw’s arrival at the Renegades offsets the departures of Tom Cooper (Brisbane Heat) and Dan Christian (Sydney Sixers) as the Melbourne franchise looks to respond to their last-placed finish in BBL|09.

The Renegades experimented with their top order last summer, trying five different openers as they managed just three wins for the season.

With skipper Finch set to be available for the entire tournament, it’s likely there’s just one vacancy at the top of the order, which will seemingly be a battle between Marsh, Harper and Marcus Harris.

The Renegades have already boosted their pace stocks for this season by signing James Pattinson, Josh Lalor and Jack Prestwidge from the Brisbane Heat.

Melbourne Renegades squad: Noor Ahmad (AFG)*, Cameron Boyce, Zak Evans, Aaron Finch (c), Jake Fraser-McGurk, Sam Harper, Marcus Harris, Mackenzie Harvey, Jon Holland, Josh Lalor, Shaun Marsh, Mohammad Nabi (AFG), James Pattinson, Mitch Perry, Jack Prestwidge, Kane Richardson, Rilee Roussow (RSA), Will Sutherland, Imran Tahir (RSA)**, Beau Webster

*Available before Christmas; **Available after Christmas